Illusion of Gaia
by Royazali
Summary: The world was in an age of exploration. Various relics were found from ancient ruins. People who went in search of these relics entered the ruins and were never seen again. No one thought these ruins and the relics in them would bring about disaster...
1. South Cape

**Alright, This is Illusion of Gaia, or as I like to call it… The story about a boy and his flute…lol Anywho…**

**One- I don't own this****  
Two- This is MY take on the story so don't spazz if I add or neglect to add anything.  
Three- It is long so forgive me if I don't update or something but I will try to be fair with the updating.**

**That being said…Enjoy!**

* * *

Hey… My name's Will. I'm 17 and I live in South Cape. I attend the local school with my friends Seth, Lance, and Erik.

About 2 years ago I had gone on an expedition to the Tower of Babel with my father and his friend. I cant exactly remember what happened but I was the only one who made it back. To this day I still don't know how I managed to escape. When I returned, everyone assumed that my father was dead… But I believe my father is still alive somewhere.

My friend Seth believes I was able to escape because of my 'Special Power'. He says it's a form of 'sixth sense' or something. But I don't really believe him. I mean, this is coming from a guy who believes in Riverson (A man that was mutated into a giant fish and attacks ships at sea).

But I have to admit, I am extremely lucky at cards and for some weird reason I can make objects move toward me, but that doesn't mean I'm psychic or anything… I mean, if I were psychic, I would have been able to prevent the series of events that were to unfold…

"5...4...3...2...1...Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…"

"Finally!" I yelled as I stood up to leave.

"Not so fast!" said the teacher. "Please retake your seats, Will, Lance, Seth, Erik… I wish to speak to you four. The rest of you may leave."

I groaned as I sat back down. _This makes it the 3rd__, no, 4__th__ time we've had to stay after school… _I watched, moodily, as the rest of the class left. I looked longingly out the window.

"Will? Will! _WILL!_ Pay attention when I'm addressing you!" yelled our teacher.

Reluctantly I turned my attention to him, "Sorry…" I said.

"Yes, well, Susan has just informed me last period, that you four tripped her. Am I correct?" asked teach.

Suddenly Lance stood up. He was the tallest of the four of us and had blonde hair. He usually wore a green shirt with pants to match. "Of course we didn't! All four of us couldn't have tripped her at the same time!" he yelled.

"Yes, well," our teacher fixed his glasses, "She says you did and I'd rather trust _her_ more than you four."

"That's favoritism." said Seth. Unlike Lance, Seth had purple hair and purple clothing.

"No, its common sense," argued the teacher.

I looked back out the window, bored. From where I was sitting I could just see my house in the distance. _Boy, I wish I were there right now…_

"Will! Would you like to add to your friend's accusations?"

I looked at him blankly, "What?"

For a minute it looked as if our teacher was going to explode. "That's it! I've had it! After school detention! All of you! Starting now!"

I sighed and got out my parchment and quill. As I wrote 'I will not disobey the rules' over and over again I thought back on what had happened…

**-Flash Back- **

It was 2:15, classes were just getting ready to switch when Susan, high prep, came walking along the corridor.

"Hey, Will! Lets get her!" whispered Lance excitedly.

"No. Jumping her in the open or at any time would give us a one way ticket to detention. And I, for one, do _not_ want that again…" said Seth.

"But if Will uses his 'Special Power' wouldn't it be okay?"

"Hmm…alright…" agreed Seth.

"Guys! What if she tells someone? We'd still be in trouble!" said Erik nervously. Erik, unlike the rest of us, was a goody two shoes. He was kind of scrawny compared to us and wore fancy clothes of white and blue.

"Tell who? If we do it right…she wont even know its us!" argued Lance.

"I don't know…"

Everyone looked at me. I don't know why but everyone seemed to assume I was the leader. Probably cuz I was the oldest or because of my power…I don't know. Anyway, I studied our target, who had stopped to chat with someone, and debated on what to do…

_If I do it just right, I might be able to get both of them…hmm…_

Slowly, I pulled out my flute. I heard the exited gasps from my friends as I focused on my target: The garbage can behind Susan. Slowly at first, I began to twirl my flute, focusing all my energy. When the flute was just a blur I unleashed all the energy I had!

Suddenly the garbage can behind Susan flew straight towards her. With a startled cry she flew backward and landed on her butt. Seth and Lance quietly celebrated our victory. It was Erik that pointed out my mistake.

"Quick! Run!" he yelled, pointing at Susan's friend.

I must have missed her because she was pointing at us accusingly. Even though we had been caught we still ran all the way to our next class laughing. We had just gotten a one-up on the 'Queen' of the school. Who wouldn't be happy?

**-End Flashback-**

As I turned in my paper, I suppose it really _was_ my fault. But then again…who cares?

As we took our seats the teacher addressed us again, "Now, I hope you've all learned your lesson! And if you do _anything_ like this again, I'll have to talk to your parents!" Erik gulped. "Now get out of here!"

As we scrambled to leave he called after us: "And watch out for monsters!"

**X**

As we exited the school we stopped to catch our breaths.

"So, what d'you guys want to do?" asked Lance.

"I don't know…" I said, absentmindedly flexing my fingers from writing too much.

"I know! Lets go to our Hideout!" said Lance.

"Alright."

So we all started walking south. As we passed Erik's house (The biggest one in town) I started thinking of what I was going to tell my grandparents. You see, since my mother died when I was young, my father raised me. But he's gone too so my grandparents take care of me…not that I need it though.

As we entered the harbor I saw a man fishing. I shook my head with pity. Rob always fished yet never caught anything. _Maybe he needs new bait?_

We continued along the pier until we made it to the Hideout. It was a cave cut into the cliffs that we had found when we were little. As soon as we got in, Lance and Seth started playing cards.

"Hey, Will, want to join?" they asked.

"Sure," I said.

As the game wore on it got dark. Soon it was time to go home.

"Alright, alright time to go…" I said, getting up.

"But, Will! We haven't finished yet!" whined Lance.

I sighed and rolled my eyes as I played my hand. "Royal Flush." With that I left, leaving my friends gawking at me. I chuckled slightly as Erik ran behind me. _Still my tag along._

"Will! Will, wait up!" he gasped as he came up beside me.

"Took ya long enough…" I answered. Ever since I had saved him from the school bully, he always followed me when he could. Especially at night since there were rumors of monsters about.

"So, Will… Have you heard the rumors?" he asked exited.

"About the monsters? Yeah, so wha-"

"No! Not them!" he interrupted. "The ones about the princess!"

"What?"

"I heard she ran away and came south. You know what that means, Will? Will! She came here!" By this time he was jumping up and down in excitement.

I shook my head, "You shouldn't believe everything you hear, Erik. Its probably a lie."

"But-"

"No buts!" I paused. "Here's your stop. See ya tomorrow…" With that I left him on his doorstep alone. _Heh, as if a princess would ever come here… I mean, why'd she want a normal petty life when she could get whatever she wanted?_

I continued for awhile more until I reached my house. "Welp, here's my stop. Home sweet home…" The house was nothing fancy. It was a small two story with a garden in front. I looked up to my window and noticed the light was on. _What's going on?_

As I entered the house I noticed something very out of the ordinary. A pure pink pig was staring up the stairs!

"Hey! Get out! Now! OUT!" I yelled, trying to shoo it away. But all the pig did was give me an innocent 'oink oink' and pushed me out of the way.

Just as I was about to get out my flute a girl I had never seen before came running down the stairs. She wore a pink dress and had black hair.

"Hamlet! Are you alright?" she called and ran toward the pig.

'Hamlet' gave a weak sort of 'oink' and looked at me.

"Did that shabby boy hurt you?" she continued.

"Shabby?-!" I said. "Who do you think you are?"

"If I were you I'd watch what I say!" she yelled back. "Now apologize to Hamlet!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!" I yelled forcibly as I took a step toward her.

She took a step back in fear and started to cry.

_Oh man… _"Look… Don't cry. I-I didn't mean to-" I started.

"'sniff' A-All I wanted was for you to-to 'sniff' apologize so he-he'd be happy… B-But you go and be-be mean and-and-and… Waahhhh!"

I sighed and shook my head as I walked over to her. "Look, if I apologize will you stop crying?" I asked.

"'sniff' Uh-huh…'sniff'"

So in my gentlest voice I said, "Hamlet, I'm sorry for, uh, yelling at you and, uh, sorry for scaring you, Miss…uh… What's you name?"

The girl looked up and was about to answer when two knights bearing the royal crest charged in.

"Halt! We are here by King Edward's orders to retrieve his daughter, Princess Kara. We will be gone in a matter of minutes. " He added as grandpa and grandma came downstairs looking terrified.

"No! I wont go with you!" yelled Kara, crying again.

"I'm sorry but you have no say in the matter!" declared the second knight as he grabbed her wrist.

"No! Hamlet, do something!"

But it was no use. The pig was obviously too afraid of the knights to move.

"Look princess, if I don't bring you back I'll loose my head!" knight A yelled, dragging her out the door.

"I don't care about your head!" She turned to me. "Help me! My father, he's not acting rationally! You have to-"

But whatever I _had_ to do I obviously wasn't going to do it because the knight had shut her up. After they had left, Hamlet following, grandma Lola let out a breath she had been holding.

"Oh my! That poor girl! I do hope she'll be alright!" she said.

"Im sure she'll be fine…" said grandpa Bill. "She looks like a fighter."

_More like a spoiled brat… _"I think I'm going to go to bed now…"

"Oh but you just got home! Eat something first, at the least!"

So after I had eaten some snail pie, I got into bed and fell asleep. The next morning I woke up and went downstairs to find grandpa and grandma sitting at the table.

"What's up?" I asked.

"This morning…this was delivered to our house." He held up an envelope bearing the royal crest.

"Its for you…" said grandma.

Slowly I took the envelope and started to read:

_"Will,  
__Come to my castle and bring with you your father's Crystal Ring._

_King Edward"_

"What's this? My father's ring? I don't know where it is!"

"Yes, but what worries me the most is why he wants it?" asked grandpa.

I blinked, "Does it have any special powers or something?"

"I don't now but your father cherished it above all else," said grandma.

"Hmm…" Without another word I started walking out the door.

"Will! Where are you going?"

"To the castle!"

With that I walked outside to the border of town, showed the letter to the guard, and headed towards Edward's Castle.**

* * *

This seems like a good place to end the chap. How is it so far? Like I said, some things are different but not majorly… -heh, I made a new word- Anywho, next is the castle…cant wait…**

**Till next chap!**


	2. Edward's Castle

**Alright, chap 2**

* * *

It was a long boring trip but eventually I made it. I gawked up at the castle in awe. This thing was huge! I had never before seen anything like it in my life- scratch that… The Tower of Babel was pretty big too.

I took a deep breath and sighed, "Well… Time to get to the bottom of this…" As I entered the castle I was amazed. Man this place was fancy!

The stairs had scarlet rugs, inlaid gold railings, white marble… _If I had This much money…I could buy all of South Cape!_

Glistening suits of armor bore down upon bystanders on their limestone pedestal… And right above them two paintings hung… The King, Queen, and Kara…the other was of Hamlet the pig.

As I was studying the pictures a knight grabbed my from behind and roughly shoved me up against the wall. "Ow! Hey! What's the big idea?-!" I shouted.

"Silence, peasant!" he answered.

_Peasant?-! That's it! This guy's going to pay! _I struggled and finally connected my foot with his. He gasped in pain and released his grip. Just when I was about to tackle him, _another_ knight grabbed me from behind. "Dammit! Let go!" I yelled.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked a familiar voice.

I turned and saw Kara walking towards us.

"Miss Kara! You are not to leave your room!" yelled the knight holding me. He let go of my arm and went to escort Kara back to her room.

"No! Will?" She looked at me. "Will, is that you? You have to save me! Please!"

"That's enough!" yelled the knight. He grabbed her wrist and continued up the stairs.

The first knight got up and looked at me, "You know the princess?"

"Uh…Y-Yeah! And you better not mess with me or you'll regret it!"

"Oh yeah? And how is that?" he asked.

Without another word I withdrew the letter. He took and read it then suddenly he got all nice…

"M-My apologies, Sir Will… If you'll forgive me?" He bowed, "The King is having breakfast now. I'll inform him of your arrival." And with that he bowed, turned, and walked off.

_Okay… That was weird… Well now what? _I sighed. _I know! _So I headed up the stairs in search of Kara. Obviously something was up and since she was the only one willing to tell me…

It took me 10 minutes and 3 flights of stairs to find her room. It was in the tallest tower on the balcony. When I got there, I noticed a knight standing guard.

"Hey! I wanna talk to Kara!" I demanded.

The knight looked at me like I was stupid or something.

"Are you listening to me? Move so I can-"

"Will? Will! It _is_ you!" said Kara. "You there, knight, if you don't move I'll tell everybody your old nickname!"

Suddenly the knight turned pale and started to stutter. Obviously whatever his nickname was, it was embarrassing. "N-No, please!" He looked at me and bowed, "Please, by all means, enter!"

"Right…" I walked into Kara's room and faced her. Now that she wasn't yelling or arguing she was actually kind of cute. "Um…hey there…"

"Will! What are you doing here? What happened?"

"Calm down, everything's fine…" I assured her.

"Then why have you come?" she asked. She looked up at me expectantly, "Have you come to save me?"

"Umm…no…"

"Then why are you here?" she demanded.

_Jeez, bipolar much? _"Your father sent me a letter. Says he wants my dad's Crystal Ring…"

"Oh, this is terrible!" she said. She looked out her window sadly, "Once again my father is trying to take things away from people. I cant stand it!"

"Okay…" I said, not sure where she was going.

"I've snuck out of the castle before but now I cant even leave my room…" She turned to me, "And now my mother has hired a famous Hunter… Its all so ominous…"

"Well what do you want _me_ to do about it?"

She ran up to me, "You have to get me out of here! My mother and father…they've changed… I'm worried something awful will happen…"

I looked at her, not sure how to react.

"Princess," called the knight. "That's enough talk…"

"Please, Will! You have to do something!"

"But, Kara-"

"Alright, this conversation is over!" yelled the knight. He grabbed my arm and shoved me out.

"Will, please!"

"Kara!"

The knight stepped between us, blocking my view of her, "Visiting hours are over. Good day."

I glared at him as I walked away. _What was That all about? 'Visiting hours are over'… Sounds more like a prison than a castle… _As I headed back downstairs I began to think about Kara. I frowned slightly as I thought of how she was being treated. _That's just wrong… She's a princess not a prisoner… Someone needs to do something… _As I thought that a knight came up to me.

"Sir Will, the King will see you now…"

"Great. I've got a few things I'd like to discuss…" I muttered.

The knight led me to the meeting hall where the King and Queen were waiting. They glared down at me like they were superior and I was just some peasant. Which I guess is true… But still…

I walked up to the king and bowed, "Your Majesty…"

"Hmph, you're Will? You look so…shabby…"

"So I've heard…" I muttered bitterly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, your majesty…"

"Yes, well… Have you brought the Crystal Ring?" he asked looking over me.

I frowned. _Greedy bastard. _"Your Majesty… Why do you want my father's ring?"

"You _dare_ question me?-!" he roared. "Do you have it or not?-!"

I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I don't."

His face turned red with rage. "Why you impudent- Guards! Arrest this boy!"

"Sir!"

"Huh? What?" I stood up to run as two knights grabbed me and started dragging me away. "Hey, let go! I didn't do anything wrong!" I turned to the queen, "Ma'am, help me!"

She glared at me, shocked, "Did you just call me _Ma'am?-!_"

I struggled against the guards, "Let go!"

"Silence, prisoner!" they growled.

"Prisoner?-!"

I struggled all the way to the dungeons where they threw me in a cell and locked it.

"Nice know 'en ya, kid!" They laughed as they walked away.

"Hey! Get back here!" I ran to the cell door and shook the bars angrily. "Bet back here, dammit! Let me out!" I kicked the wall in frustration and quickly regretted it. I hopped on one foot, holding the other. "Stupid wall…"

I sat down in the middle of the cell, sulking. "Well now what?" I asked myself. I looked around the cell. It was plain ordinary. Moss clung to the walls, a ball and chain rested in a corner… _I bet this cell has seen its fair share of prisoners…_

Suddenly something landed on my head and fell next to me. I picked it up and looked up.

"Rations for today," said a gruff voice. "Even moss needs ta eat…hahahahaha!"

I looked down at the piece of bread in my hand. My stomach growled. "Welp, bottoms up…" I took a bite. It was hard. I forced myself to chew and took another bite. Who knows when I'll eat next?

As I finished the bread I laid down. The stone floor was cold but it didn't matter. "How am I going to get out of here?" I wondered. I closed my eyes, thinking of my options. Time passed slowly but soon I fell asleep.

I must have been dreaming because the next thing I remember was hearing my father's voice…

"Will…? Will… Can you hear me?"

"Father…?"

"Heh, you were cute when you were little but now you've grown…"

"Father…where are you?" I asked, looking around.

"There's no time… Listen, Will… I need you to do something for me…"

"What? What is it?" I asked, eager for news from my father.

"A terrible calamity is about to befall us." He said seriously. "I need you to stop it."

"Do I have to…?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Yes." Was the obvious reply. "You must make a pilgrimage to the ancient ruins of our world and find the Mystic Statues. Only then will you be able to face the enemies before you…"

"Wait… The pilgrimage is fine and all but… How am I supposed to get out of here? Father!"

"Will…there's no time… First to the Incan Ruins…" His voice sounded strained as it faded off the rocky walls of the cell.

"Father!" I yelled again, only to receive no answer. I looked around, "That was no dream… My father…he's alive! But…" His last words kept going through my mind, "What calamity is about to befall us?"

'oink oink'

I looked over to the cell door and saw a familiar site. "Hamlet!" I rushed over to him. "Hamlet! Hmm? What's this?" Tied to his tail was a letter and in the letter…

"A key!" I took it excitedly and read the note. It was from Kara. It read:

_"Dear Will,_

_I'm so sorry to hear you're in prison. My father has gone too far. I too am a prisoner, set in a prison of silk and gold. Tonight I shall leave this castle forever. You shall be freed as well…_

_Sincerely, Kara"_

I kissed the key in triumph. "Yes! Thank you, Kara!" I turned to the door, "Now to get out of here…"

* * *

**Okay, Will's still in prison but its time to escape! I remember this part… I would run around in the cell not knowing what to do…lol  
****Up next we get to meet the Dark Knight! -no, not batman-**

**Till next Chap!**


	3. Dark Space

**Here goes, chap 3! We escape the castle and meet a new friend! Two actually…okay, three… Eh heh, I effed up pretty bad in this chap but by the time I caught it I was already on chap 4 so I decided to leave it as is. Can you tell where I messed up?**

* * *

The key worked, obviously, and I was able to escape. I took a deep breath, "Ah freedom… Now where's the exit?"

I followed the path leading out and immediately realized this was going to be no cake walk. The place was laid out like a maze. _Probably to stop escapees like me… _I thought bitterly. To make matters worse, the place was littered with demons…

"Just my luck… Surrounded by demons yet no weapon…" I sighed.

Suddenly a giant bat came swooping toward me. I ducked instinctively and reached for my flute. I swung at it, trying to knock it away and connected with its head. The bat died instantly.

I looked at my flute amazed. "Wow! I didn't know it could do that!" I grinned, "Alright demons, bring it on!"

I had never fought with a flute before but it seemed to be working. After about a half hour of killing demons and traversing the dungeon I called it quits.

I looked around, "Dead end…" Over to my right there was a switch. What it did, I didn't know. And I wasn't going to find out any time soon either. It was too far away to reach, even with my flute. I sighed, "Guess this is it…"

As I got up to go back I noticed something. A light, flashing to my left. "What the…" I walked up to it cautiously. As I got closer, the light transformed into a door.

I took a step back. "Whoa…freaky…" I looked around. "Well, no where else to go, right?" I looked through the door. In it was nothing but the emptiness of space. I reached out with my hand to test it…and the next thing I knew I was looking up at a giant statue.

I looked around, totally freaked out. I was on a lone platform, the emptiness of space swirling around in the distance. Behind me I could see the door leading back into the prison. I gulped, "Okay, this is new…"

I turned to inspect the statue. It looked like a face although I could tell it wasn't human. I stared at it for a minute…when it suddenly moved!

"Ahhh!" I fell backward on my butt and looked up at the statue.

"You can relax, young one. I am Gaia. The source of all life. This place you have stumbled across is known as the Dark Space."

I looked up at it confused, "Dark Space?"

It nodded, "Indeed. It can only be found and entered by those who use the dark power…"

I looked over myself, "I don't think I have 'dark power'."

Gaia smiled, "Surely, child, you can use the dark power. You found this place, did you not?"

"Well…yeah…" I admitted, standing up.

"And you have abilities… Abilities that none other have, correct?"

I though back on what Seth had said. "Are you saying that's dark power?"

"Only a portion of it."

"A portion?" I looked at Gaia with wide eyes, "You're saying I can do more?"

She chuckled, "Oh yes, lots more… But with time…"

_This is great! Maybe this 'dark power' can help me escape? _"Hey, Gaia… I'm kinda stuck here… Can you help me?" I asked.

"I cannot… But perhaps…_he_ can…"

"'He'?"

Gaia looked to her right and I followed her gaze. There was another statue. This one was of a man. A knight probably… He wore battle armor with a sword to match.

"Wow… Does he talk too?" I asked.

Gaia smiled slyly, "Why don't you ask him?"

I was too exited to care about how she said that. I walked up to the statue and said, "Hey there, I'm Will! I need your help…" I paused as nothing happened. "Hello? I could use your help here…"

Still nothing.

'_rrr' This isn't working… _I was about to ask Gaia what was wrong when suddenly I heard a voice in my head.

_It is not working because you are using the wrong method._

I froze and looked around, "Hello…?" No answer. Gaia smiled down at me like she was enjoying my confusion. _Stupid statue…_

_Are you referring to me or to Gaia? For neither one of us is stupid._

I paused again. _Hold on… We're communicating in my mind?_

_Yes, Will, we are…_

I looked up at the statue of the knight. _Is that you?_

_Yes, I am Freedan, the Dark Knight._

_Dark Knight, that sounds cool… _I thought. I groaned as I realized he was reading my thoughts. _So, Freedan, you gunna help me?_

_Do you want my help? _he asked.

_Well of course! That's why I'm here, right?_

_Very well… But there's no turning back once we agree…_

_What do you mean by that? _I asked suspiciously.

_Do not worry, _He assured. _In time, you will begin to understand my nature…_

_Your nature? But I-_

Suddenly I began to loose consciousness. The last thing I remember was thinking something bad was going to happen…and Freedan's voice telling me to trust him. Then…nothing.

**X**

Freedan opened his eyes and looked around. The deep emptiness of Dark Space was familiar to him. He looked down at his hands as he flexed his fingers. Expertly he drew his sword and held it out in front of him. "Finally… I'm back…" He looked up to Gaia who was watching him intently.

"Hello once again, Freedan…" she greeted.

He nodded.

"The comet fast approaches," she continued. "You should go."

"As you wish…" he answered. He nodded a farewell and left through the door.

He looked around the dungeon. "Hmph, this is my challenge?" he scoffed and looked at the switch Will couldn't reach. _You mean to tell me I was summoned to activate a mere switch?_

_Freedan? Freedan, is that you? _asked Will.

Freedan sighed, predicting the outcome of the conversation. _Yes, Will… It is I, Freedan._

_What did you do to me?-! _he demanded. _Where am I?-!_

_Will…_ he said calmly.

_Yes? What?_

_Trust me._

_I did! _he yelled. _And look where it got me! Where's my body? What happened? Freedan, what the hell is-_

Freedan blocked his mind from Will. "Its always the hardest the first time…"

He gripped his sword and swung, hitting the switch easily. It activated and a hidden path was revealed. "How trivial…" He looked up to see demons in the distance. "Now my job begins…"

After about another half hour of fighting demons Freedan had made it to the end of his journey. He looked back towards the dungeon sadly.

"Alas, it was only for a short while…but I was finally able to live again…" He looked forward regrettably. _Will… _he called.

_Freedan! _he answered angrily. _The hell happened?-! What's-_

_I am relieving myself of my duties… Farewell…_

_Fare what? No! Wait, Freedan!_

Freedan kneeled, closing his eyes. He was enveloped by a white light and was gone.

**X**

I looked around confused. "Freedan? Where'd you go?" I called. _Freedan? Where are you? _I sighed, "He's gone… Man that was a freaky experience… Freaky… but cool…" I thought about him and how he had fought all those demons single handedly. _Amazing…_

I looked around and saw the exit up ahead. "Alright!" I rushed forward only to come across a girl with blue hair. She stared at me amazed.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "I didn't know there were other people who could change their shape like me!"

I looked at her awkwardly. "Who are you? And how did-"

"Sorry, my name's Lilly. I was watching you escape…" she admitted. "I would have helped but…there were so many demons and you seemed to be doing fine on your own so, umm…"

"Why were you following me?" I asked.

"Oh!" she snapped her fingers, "Your grandmother Lola asked me to save you!"

"My Grandmother?" I asked, amazed.

"Yep!"

Suddenly there was a strange noise, sort of like a metallic whirring.

"What was that?" I asked, looking around for the source.

"Uh oh! I gotta go!" She looked at me, "The Elder's calling…"

"Elder? Hey wait! What's going on?"

"Sorry…got to go…" She spun on her heal and transformed into a blue dandelion.

I watched, amazed as it floated out through the door and disappeared. "Whoa…freaky…" I thought a minute. "A lot of things seem freaky lately… I just hope nothing _else_ freaky happens…"

With that thought in mind, I left through the door and entered what had to be the castle's storehouse. Going up the stairs I was all set to leave when I remembered Kara. _I cant just Leave her here…_ I nodded, determined. _Besides, isn't it the Hero's job to rescue the princess?_

I ran all the way up the stairs right to her room, totally forgetting it was guarded. I looked around for the guard only to find him passed out on the floor, snoring. I scoffed, "Some knight _you_ are…"

"Will?" came Kara's voice through her door.

"Kara, its me. Lets get out of here…"

She came running out of her room and literally threw herself on me. "Oh, Will! I _knew_ you'd come save me!"

"er…Yeah…" I said, detaching her from me. _Maybe I should have just left her here…?_

She looked up at me, "Come, lets go!"

"Right"

As we passed the snoring knight she said, "He's always falling asleep. People started calling him Old Snorehead, hee hee"

_So That's his nickname…_

We had finally made it to the castle entrance and I was all set to leave, again, when Kara stopped me.

"What is it?"

"Its going to be a long trip, correct? We should get supplies first…"

_Now she thinks about that? _I sighed. "Alright, lets go."

So after a trip to the storehouse where we acquired a large yummy roast leg of yak, we left the castle, headed for South Cape.

The first thing we discovered upon our arrival was destruction.

"Will! What happened?" asked Kara scared.

"I don't know…" I looked around my house. The place was a mess. "It looks like someone came here looking for something…" I said.

"Oh no… Do you think my father had something to do with this?" she asked me.

"Perhaps…" I looked around, one thing on my mind. "Where are my grandparents?"

Kara looked scared, "Lets check upstairs!

"Right"

We headed upstairs into my room. It was just as messy as downstairs. Suddenly Kara screamed.

"Kara, what is it?"

"Look at the wall!" she cried.

I did. There, above my nightstand was a picture of a jackal. I looked at it confused, "Okay…and?"

"Don't you get it?" she glared at me. "It's the mark of the Jackal! The famous Hunter my mother hired!"

"Ooohhh… I get it now…"

She sighed. Probably thinking I was an idiot for not knowing that. "He's an evil man that will stop at Nothing! Once he picks a target he wont stop!"

"Then what about my grandparents?" I asked worriedly.

"Ugh… Will you guys stop with all the drama? You're giving me a headache…"

Kara and I turned around to see Lilly standing behind us.

"Its you…"

"Who are you?" demanded Kara.

"Hmph, I'm Will's friend." she said simply.

Before a cat fight could break out I asked, "Lilly…do you know where my grandparents are?"

"Sure thing!" she winked. "They're safe in my village."

"_Your_ village?" asked Kara snottily.

"Yeah, _my_ village." She faced her, "And for your information its called Itory Village."

"Well I've never heard of it!"

"Naturally… My village has a barrier around it." boasted Lilly. "Normal people like _you_ cant see it!"

Kara looked like she was ready to strangle her.

"Will, lets go…" said Lilly.

"Hey!" yelled Kara, "I'm going too!"

"Its too dangerous for a princess…" said Lilly rudely.

"You cant stop royalty! I do what I want!"

"Typical of a princess…" she muttered.

"Hey guys… Come on!" I intervened. "Why don't we all go?"

Kara and Lilly stared each other down. I sighed.

"Alright, fine!" said Lilly, giving in. "But have you even been outside the castle?"

"Of course I have! Plenty of times!"

"Okay then… So you wont have any trouble sleeping on the ground…with the bugs…and dirt…and…monsters?"

Kara paled. "Well…um…" She looked around and spotted me. She grabbed my hand and with a smile said, "Its alright. I have Will to protect me! Because he's my friend too, right Will?"

"Uh…" I looked between the two girls. _Great… Why did I have to rescue her again? _I sighed. "Yeah, sure…we're…friends…"

She smiled and stuck her tongue out at Lilly. "So there!"

"Hmph." Lilly turned and headed downstairs. "Lets go…"

"Sure."

Kara looked up at me, "This will be fun!"

"Whatever you say…" I sighed.

"Will, lets go hand in hand."

I groaned. _Why? Why did I have to bring her? _Although I thought that, I couldn't help but feel a strange connection with her…**

* * *

Okay! Lots happened in this one. -not really- but we intro'd the Dark Space! Not a lot of Freedan in this one but like the game, we will be seeing a lot more of him in the future! I decided to change the perspective so you could see a diff. in characters. But….and I'm not usually this mean…there wont be any updates unless I get a review. I'm not asking for much, just one… Welp…**

**Till next Chap!**


	4. Itory Village

**WTF…Here we go again… Thanks once again for the review! Now I can continue posting! So here we go!**

* * *

The trip was a long one, made even longer by Kara's constant whining. I don't know what I would have done if the trip was just one day longer… Probably snap…

I looked around. We were in a grassy field. No village in sight.

"Hey, Lilly…" I started.

She stopped me saying, "Ok, I know you cant see it but…this is my village. Itory Village!"

"That's it. The girls gone crazy!" exclaimed Kara.

Lilly glared at her and turned to me. "Will, do you know the tune Grandma Lola always sings? Can you play it on your flute?"

"Huh?" I looked at her, surprised by the request. "Uh, sure… I'll try…"

I took out my flute which remarkably had no scratches on it from where I had used it against the demons. I put it to my lips and played Lola's Melody. Its tune drifted on the wind and seemed to echo around us.

There was a blue flash and Itory Village was revealed!

Kara and I gasped, "Wow!"

"Freaky…"

Lilly grinned, "See? I told you there was a barrier! That song dispels it…"

"That's awesome!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, truly…" agreed Kara.

"Yeah well… Lets get going, huh? Doesn't the princess want to rest her precious feet?"

Our moment of peace was shattered by that one statement. I groaned, getting ready for another Lilly-Kara fight.

"So what if my feet hurt?" argued Kara. "You wouldn't shut up about being hungry!"

Lilly gasped, "Excuse me?-!"

"You're excused." said Kara snottily.

"Girls, calm down! We're here to see my grandparents, remember?"

Lilly glared at Kara. "Yeah, sure… Come on, they're at my house."

I sighed, relieved. _Thank god… I'm sick and tired of having those two arguing…_

Lilly led us to a small house on the edge of town. In the backyard were my grandparents.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" I exclaimed. "You're alright!"

"Will!" grandma smiled warmly. "So good to see you're safe!"

"Lola, what happened?" asked Kara. "The house…its horrible…"

"Yes, but houses can be replaced… A man called the Jackal came to the house with some soldiers…"

"He almost got us!" exclaimed grandpa Bill.

Grandma Lola laughed. "Grandpa panicked. I was smart enough to entice them with a marsupial pie. Little did they know it was poisoned…hahahahaha!"

I laughed nervously. _Sometimes grandma…scares me…_

"After that," she continued. "We ran away. Then we met Lilly and came here." She turned to her. "Thank you, Lilly. But I didn't know you were bringing the princess along…"

"We didn't _ask_ her to come…"

"Eh heh… So, this is your house?" I asked before Kara could make a comment.

"Yeah… You can explore the village but come back here when you're done." With that, she left, into her house.

"Hey! Come back here!" yelled Kara as she ran after her.

I sighed and looked around. _My grandparents are safe but…now what? Im supposed to find the Mystic Statues but… Where could they be? And what about the Incan Ruins?_

As these thoughts raced through my mind I traveled the village. It was fairly small but small is good. It means it was peaceful. I climbed some stairs leading to a platform when I saw it.

A ball of light like the one in the prison.

Immediately I thought of Freedan. _Alright! Time to get some answers!_

As I approached the light it turned into a door leading into Dark Space. I paused, still a little freaked out by the whole thing. _Here goes… _I took a step through the door and entered Dark Space.

The first thing that I saw of course was Gaia.

She smiled down at me and said, "Welcome, young Will…"

I frowned, looking around. "Where's Freedan?" I asked her.

"He…is not here…"

"I can see that." I said rudely. "Where is he?"

"You will only encounter Freedan, the Dark Knight, in the greatest times of need…" she explained.

"Well that's dumb… What if something unexpected happens and I need him?" I asked.

"You, young Will, must rely on your own power… Speaking of which…" She looked to her right where Freedan's statue had been. Only it was replaced by another statue… This one of me!

"Whoa! When did that get there?" I asked startled.

"Sometimes during your travels, this statue will appear. Bearing with it new powers to help you on your quest…"

"Freaky…" I walked up to the statue, examining it. "What's it do?"

"Touch it."

I looked at Gaia. "Yeah, 'touch it'…'Trust me'… You know, you guys don't give me much to go on here…"

She smiled, "Yet touch it, you will…"

I sighed. "Sure fine… What could possibly go wrong?" So I stretched out my hand and touched the statue. I gasped as what felt like an electric current ran through my body. I stepped away from it in fear. "The hell was that?" I gasped.

"The new power has been bestowed." said Gaia. "You can now use the dark power Psycho Dash."

"Psycho what? What d'you do to me?" I asked confused.

"Using the power of the Psycho Dash, you can break obstacles in your path by hurling yourself against them." she explained, completely skipping my questions.

"So…what? I bash my head on some wall and it breaks? Wouldn't that hurt?"

Gaia smiled. "Not if you use the dark power…"

"Yeah, dark power…sure…" I looked at Gaia questioningly. "Just who _are_ you?"

"I already told you that. I am Gaia, the source of all life…"

"Then…who am I?" I wondered.

Gaia smiled mischievously. "That…you will learn in time… Now go…"

"Huh? Hey! What do you mean, 'learn in time'? Gaia!" but the statue was silent. Regrettably, I left the Dark Space with even _more_ questions.

_Im Me, right? But…who is me? Argh! I Hate this!_

I was so rapped up in my own thoughts that I wasn't watching where I was going. One minute I was walking, the next I was rolling down a steep incline. As I fell, I got back on my feet. I hurtled forward going way too fast. I saw a pile of logs down at the bottom.

_This is going to hurt…_

I was all set to be smashed against the logs when suddenly I felt the ground disappeare below my feet. I screamed as I hit a rise and was hurtled through the air. The last thing I remember seeing was a bed of flowers coming up fast. I knew this was it…

**X**

"Will…can you hear me?"

I opened my eyes. "Oh, ow… What happened?"

"Heh heh… Ah, the advantages of youth…"

"Who's there?" I asked. Looking around I couldn't see anyone. "Hello?"

"I'm here… In the flowers…"

I looked to my right and saw a man…or did I? I walked over to him to get a better look. "What's wrong, old guy? I can see right through you…" I paused. "Freaky…"

The old man sighed. "I've lived for far too long… You see, I cant live without the protection of the flower spirit."

_So that's the reason for the flowers…_

"You really do look like your father…"

"What?" I asked, giving him my full attention. "You know my father?"

"Seems like only yesterday he came to this village…"

"Please, tell me more!" I said, eager for answers.

The old man looked at me. "You mother, Shira, was the only daughter of your grandparents. She was very beautiful…" He sighed trying to recall events of the past. "Your father fell in love with her and took her away from the village. All of the Itory have a strange power but Shira's was especially strong…"

"Really?" _A 'strange power'…? Could it be dark power?_

"Yes," continued the man. "She made a barrier to hide our town but your father came through it easily." He paused. "Come to think of it, he was unusual too…" He looked up at me. "Were you summoned by your father?"

"Uh, yes! I was. How did you know?" I asked.

"Your grandmother Lola had made a prophecy you would come…" He looked at me seriously. "Do you plan to go?"

I thought back on what my father had told me to do. He said that if I didn't, a great calamity would befall us… I nodded, determined.

The elder smiled. "Good then. I will entrust you with the Incan Statue below. The statues are the key to the Incan riddle- untouched by human hands for hundreds of years… The first statue is enshrined below… The second…lies in the hands of the Moon Tribe. Have Lilly take you there."

I nodded. "One below; Moon Tribe has other. Got it!"

He sighed, "Who knows? Perhaps you shall finally solve the Incan riddle and uncover the truth of the Gold Ship."

I looked at him. "What Gold Ship?"

"Farewell, Will… Till we meet again…" He began to fade.

"Hey! Wait!" I called. "What riddle? What Gold Ship?" But he was gone. "Just great…even more questions to be answered…"

I shook my head and climbed down a ladder leading into a cave. "One in the cave…got it…" I looked around. The place was empty. "Okay, so where's the statue?"

Having nothing better to do I began tapping the walls looking for a hidden entrance. I smiled as I found a section of wall that was different. "Bingo!"

I leaned against it, trying to push it out of the way. It wouldn't budge. _Alright… _I got out my flute and banged it against the wall. Still nothing…

"Dammit! Now what?" Suddenly I remembered my conversation with Gaia. _Maybe that's it… Psycho Dash!_

I closed my eyes, focusing all my energy, planning to ram the wall. When I opened them I noticed I was enveloped in a faint green light.

_Okay… Once again, freaky, but alright… _I stared at the wall determined.

"One…Two…Three!" I hurled myself against the wall. It was smashed instantly, revealing a hidden room. I got up and dusted myself off.

"That was new…" I grinned. "I think I like this Psycho Dash…"

I looked around the room. Up on an alter was a gold statue. I picked it up and examined it. It was ordinary looking and kind of heavy.

"Alright, Statue A down… Next stop, Statue B!"

I walked out of the cave. "Now how am I supposed to get back?" My eyes wandered till I found another steep incline with a rise at the bottom. My heart sank. _I'd rather not try to fly again…_

Sighing, I stood at the top of the incline. "Lets just get this over with…" I ran down it. When I hit the rise, my momentum lifted me into the air. It was actually enjoyable, flying like that, till reality set in and I realized what goes up…must come down…

"Ahhh!" I screamed as I landed on the other side. I don't know how, or why but somehow I was unharmed. I let out a shaky breath, "Lets not do that again, okay?"

"Talking to yourself?"

I looked up and spotted Lilly staring at me. "Eh heh… Yeah, sort of…"

"Its cool…" She shrugged. "You didn't come back so I decided to come looking for you. Besides…the princess wouldn't shut up." She added.

"Sorry…" I said, finally relaxing after my quick flight. "By the way… I need to talk to you."

"'Bout what?"

So I told her about meeting the elder and getting the statue. I also asked her if she'd take me to see the Moon Tribe.

She nodded, still going over my story. "Alright, yeah! If the elder says to…"

I looked at her, a little hurt by her words.

"No! I didn't mean it _that_ way! Of course I'll take you to the Moon Tribe, even if he didn't ask!" She turned to leave.

"Wait, shouldn't we tell Kara?"

She stopped and looked at me. "You want her nagging butt tagging along?"

"Yeah…right…" I smiled. "Lets go!"

"Now you're talk 'en!"

So Lilly and I headed for the Moon Tribe.**

* * *

And That's where it ends. Nothing really exiting in this one but next up is the dungeon part! Well, the first Actual dungeon… Anywho…**

**Hope ta see ya there!**

**Till next Chap!**


	5. Moon Tribe

**Eep! I have a fan! Ok…ok… 'calms down' Up next- The Moon Tribe!**

* * *

The trip was fairly easy besides the fact that the Moon Tribe was located on top of a mountain peak…

I sighed as we finally reached the top. Looking around I saw some weird statues littered about but no signs of any living person. "Um… Lilly, where's the Moon Tribe?" I asked.

She paused, catching her breath, "Beats me… Lets look around…"

I nodded and together we searched for the Moon Tribe. It didn't take long for something to happen…

"Good evening…out for a stroll?"

I stopped. "What was that?"

Lilly looked around, "The Moon Tribe?" she guessed.

"Hey!" I called. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Up up!" The voice continued. "This body is lighter than air… Guess who?"

'_Guess'? _I gave it some thought. Coming to a conclusion I said, "Cotton candy's relative?" Lilly looked at me like I was stupid. "What?"

"Wrong!" said the voice. "Actually we are the Moon Tribe, also known as 'Shadows'."

"I _knew_ it!" exclaimed Lilly.

Suddenly several spirits appeared. Each as pale as a ghost.

I looked around apprehensively. "Freaky…"

"What happened to you all?" asked Lilly.

One of the spirits turned to face her. "Whenever there is light, there are shadows… We, who were changed by being bathed in the light only once…will spend our future in a world without light."

_A world without light? _"What did this to you?" I asked.

A spirit to my right said, "It comes once every 800 years. This is the fourth time… The more light that reaches you, the stronger the Dark Power." The spirit paused. "What will be born of the light this time…?"

I gasped. "Dark Power?-!" _That's what Gaia calls my abilities…_

Lilly turned to me, "Will, something wrong?"

I faced the spirit, "Please, tell me… Where does this light come from? Where does the Dark Power come from?"

"The comet."

"Comet?" I asked.

"It is a vehicle of destruction whose evil light changed all creatures." said the spirit sinisterly. "It's a remnant of a weapon from a terrible battle long ago."

"We've transcended time and have lived long…" continued another. "We saw the destruction of the Incan Empire…the fall of Mu…and even the creation of the Sky Garden…"

"Wait… The Incan Empire?" Lilly turned to me. "You want the other statue, right?"

I nodded and faced the spirits. "Listen, I need the other Incan statue. The Itory Elder said you have it. Can you give it to me?"

The spirit grinned, "The Incan Statue sleeps in the cave below… You shall have it if you wish…we have no need for such things."

I smiled, "Alright! Thanks!"

Five minutes later I found the cave.

"I'll wait here…" said Lilly. "Cave crawlers aren't really my style…"

"Alright, I'll be back…"

As I entered the cave a spirit appeared before me.

"The final shape of those touched by the light are what you call demons. They are horrible creatures whose hearts are filled with hatred and destruction… If you can destroy the demons in this cave within 20 seconds, we'll give you the Incan Statue." He began to fade.

"Hey, wait! You never said anything about a challenge!" I yelled.

"Your time is wasting away…ku ku ku…" He laughed as he faded away.

"Dammit!" I pulled out my flute and ran forward. It wasn't long until I found the demons. They appeared to be giant roly-poly bugs. I grinned, "This'll be easy!"

I managed to kill three when one of them rolled into a ball and charged me! I jumped out of the way and chased after it. I swung with my flute and it died. Pausing, I looked for the last one.

It was all the way on the other side of the cave.

"Shit!" _How much time do I have left? _I grit my teeth and dashed after it. It was going to be close… As I ran towards it I focused my energy. When it was within striking distance I attacked.

"_Psycho Dash!_" I yelled.

The demon didn't even know what hit him and died instantly.

Suddenly the spirit materialized behind me, nearly scaring me to death.

"Hey, you're not bad, ku ku ku… As promised, the Incan Statue…"

I looked to the middle of the cave where an alter appeared. And on top of it was the other statue. I walked over and took it carefully. It looked like the other one, with slight differences.

"Alright! Statue A and B down! Now to the Incan Ruins!" _Where ever That is… _I sighed and left the cave where I was greeted by Lilly.

"Oh, you got it! Awesome!" She paused. "Now what?"

"We have to go to the Incan Ruins. Can you take me there?"

"Sure thing! But…that place is dangerous… Are you sure you want to go?" she asked me worriedly.

"Yes. " I said determined. "My father needs me… I don't want to fight the demons but if my father's alive I'll do anything to see him again…" I paused. "You don't really understand until you've lost your parents…" I said sadly.

She shrugged. "Typical… Alright, lets go…"

I nodded, grateful for her understanding. Lilly was a great friend who really cared. I liked that. But I didn't like long trips…which was exactly what we were in store for… I suppose I should just shut up and get used to it…

Anyway, like I said, it was a long trip but we made it.

Lilly stopped. "Alright, here's the entrance. They say that this is where the puzzle of the Incan legend is hidden…"

"The Elder said something about that… What exactly is the legend?" I asked her.

"They say that after the Incans were invaded they decided to leave their homeland and find a new world. They secretly built a huge ship and filled it with priceless artifacts…"

"The Incan Gold Ship!"

"Yep! But get this… There's no record of the ship ever leaving…"

"Then what happened?" I asked curiously.

She shrugged, "Nobody knows… Lots of people have entered these ruins looking for it but none have returned. I wonder what the elder wants you to do in such a dangerous place?"

I didn't say anything. Truth is, I didn't really know myself. There were still too many questions floating around and even fewer answers. I sighed, "Okay, I'm going…"

"You're so mean! Leaving me behind like that!" said a familiar voice. "How could you?-!"

Lilly and I both turned to find…

"Kara?-!"

"What are you doing here? Its dangerous!" asked Lilly.

"Hmph!" Kara frowned, "I thought you'd left me. I mean, you didn't even tell me where you were going!"

"But how did you find us here?" I asked.

"Grandma Lola told me. "she answered. "What are you looking for in the ruins? Is it treasure? I want to help!"

"No! A spoiled princess would just get in the way!" yelled Lilly.

Suddenly Kara started crying. I groaned. _Here we go again…_

"Why are you so mean to me? All I want to do is help... I cant just sit around while Will is trying so hard! I'm his friend too!"

"Kara…"

"Oh alright, fine!" Lilly walked over to her and patted her on the back. "Stop crying, will ya? We'll wait here for Will to return, okay?"

She sniffed, "But what if something happens to him?"

"Don't worry, Kara. I'll be fine!" I said trying to cheer her up. "I'll go in, find…whatever… and come right back here, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise!"

She smiled. "Alright. I'll be waiting right here so be sure to return!"

I nodded, "Gotcha." I turned and faced the entrance to the ruins. _Here goes…_

Taking a deep breath, I walked forward, unsure of what to expect.

* * *

**Surprise! I lied… Larai Cliffs will be the Next chap. Srry I'm trying to pace myself here…  
****BTW- I liked Itory Village too. I liked to listen to the back ground music and going down the hill was always fun! And for you Freedan lovers… Guess who's in the next chap? Hee hee**

**Till next Chap!**


	6. Larai Cliffs

**Oh boy oh boy! Dungeon Time! I tried to include all the basics of the dungeon so don't kill me if I neglect anything…**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The ruins were cut into the side of the Larai Cliffs. A tremendous wind blew by, nearly knocking me off. I gulped. _Best be careful._

A rope bridge led into a door that led into the side of the cliff. Once I entered through the door I sighed, spotting the demons.

"I should have known this wasn't going to be easy…" I pulled out my flute. "Okay…" _My Father said to visit the ruins and find the Mystic Statues. So here's the ruin… _I looked around. _Where's the statue? _Taking flute in hand, I began to traverse the dungeon.

I'd like to say I was getting better with dealing with demons but I couldn't say for sure. Freedan was still way better…

_Freedan… _Thinking of him just brought up more questions. Who was he? What was his purpose? What's the connection with Dark Power and the Comet? What _was_ the Comet? I sighed. _All these questions are making my head hurt…_

As I killed another roly-poly demon (this one on 'roids) I looked up. There was a demon on a pedestal which I couldn't reach. I paused, remembering the _last_ time I couldn't reach something. I looked around, "There's got to be a portal to Dark Space somewhere…"

I ignored it for now and continued looking for a Dark Space portal. A couple minutes later I found it. I sighed, exhausted as I entered the Dark Space.

"Guess I'm still not used to fighting this many demons…"

"Hello, Young Will." greeted Gaia.

"Yeah, hi…" I said getting up. I looked around and sure enough, the statue of Freedan was there. "I'll deal with you in a minute…" I said allowed so he couldn't hear me. I turned to Gaia, determined. "Alright Gaia. I want some answers…"

She smiled down at me, "And what would you like to know?"

I eyed her suspiciously. "You said I had Dark Power…"

"Indeed."

"But the Moon Tribe said that those who have bathed in the light of the Comet get Dark Power. I don't remember being bathed by any light and I _definitely_ don't remember any Comet!"

She looked at me surprised. "You have learned much since our last meeting."

"Yeah, tell me about it.." I said bitterly.

"To your comments all I have to say is this: You, Young Will, are the Chosen One. You must use your Dark Power to save this world from the impending doom of the Comet. That…is your destiny…"

I took a step back, trying to understand what she had said. "The…Chosen One? But…why me? Why do I have to do it?" I asked.

"Are you going to deny the task your Father gave you?"

I looked up at her surprised, "How did you know that?"

"I am Gaia, the source of all life. I know all there is to know."

"Then…" I paused thinking. "You _knew_ this was going to happen! Why didn't you tell me before?"

"You didn't ask."

"What?-!" Things were starting to go too fast. I paused, trying to think of what was going on. There was this Comet, weapon, thing and I was supposed to stop it but…I cant do that without the power of the Mystic Statues… Slowly it all started to make sense… Sort of…

"So I have to stop this Comet thing?" I asked.

She looked down at me, "Yes."

I nodded. "Alright… I'll do it…" _If it means I'll see my father again…_

_You will see your Father again… _said Freedan.

I almost looked for him, forgetting he was speaking in my mind. I stared at his statue. _Freedan… I cant do this alone… Will you help me?_

_Of course. _Was his answer.

I nodded. _Thanks._

Suddenly I began to lose consciousness. I relaxed, knowing what was about to happen. _Good luck _was my last thought as I was lost to darkness.

**X**

Freedan got up and looked at Gaia. "You didn't have to tell him all at once like that."

"He needed to hear it." she said. "Otherwise, he may have given up on his quest."

"One cannot change their destiny." He said quietly. "I would know…"

Gaia nodded. "In any case.. I believe a Mystic Statue is close by. You should hurry."

He nodded. "Very well…" He left the Dark Space and entered Larai Cliffs.

Freedan backtracked to the demon Will couldn't kill and destroyed it easily, unveiling a hidden path. Following it, he continued until he reached a door leading outside.

Once back outside on the cliffs he paused. The wind in the valley seemed to be playing a melody…

_Will… _he called.

_Uh… Freedan, is that you? _asked Will shakily. He was still not used to the experience of Freedan taking over.

Freedan sighed. _Will, relax… No harm can befall you._

_Well what happens when harm befalls You?_

Freedan smiled grimly. _Hopefully, you don't find out…_

Will gulped. _Alright, so what is it?_

_This melody…do you think you can play it?_

Will listened to the melody paying on the wind. _Yeah, sure… If I had my flute. Why?_

_Earlier I came across a journal. It said something about 'Chanting the Melody of the Wind in the Gold Room'. I believe that has some importance somehow._

_Really? Then where's this 'Gold Room'? _asked Will

_I have yet to find it. _he admitted. He unsheathed his sword. _But it must be between here and the demons…_

Sword in hand, he continued traversing the Incan Ruins. The demons didn't stand a chance against his sword skills. He sliced through them expertly and dodged when necessary.

Will sighed, envious. _Hey, Freedan, how'd you get so good?_

Freedan laughed grimly. _Years of practice…_

_How many years? _asked Will curiously.

_Many._

He sheathed his sword as he entered another Dark Space portal. There, where his statue should have been, was one of Will. He sighed, knowing his time was almost up.

_Will, its time…_

_For what?_

_I must leave you now._

_What?-! So soon? What about the Gold Room? _he asked.

_Go back about three rooms… Down the third is the one you need… Good luck. _He kneeled, losing consciousness.

_Freedan, wait! I still want to talk to you!_

Freedan smiled. _Until next time…_

He closed his eyes as he was enveloped in a white light and was gone.

**X**

I looked around. _Freedan! Freedan? Answer me!_

"He's not here." said Gaia, predicting what I was spazzing about.

"But why?" I asked her. "He's always here…" I looked around. There was no statue of Freedan, only mine. "What? So I cant talk to him because his statues not here?"

"Yes, you are correct."

"Well that's dumb!" I said. "How come I can talk to him but he cant talk to me?"

She sighed. "That is the way it is. And that is the way it has always been."

_Always been? But Freedan… _"Just who _is_ Freedan?"

"That…you will learn in time. If he permits it…"

"If he permits it? But what-"

"Will, we do not have time for this. Your task is to locate the Mystic Statue in this ruin. Don't dawdle."

"Dawdle? I'm not dawdling! I'm-" I paused, realizing Gaia wasn't listening anymore. _Stupid Statue…_

I left the Dark Space angrily. _Stupid Gaia, treating me like I'm some kind of tool… Where does she get off? _I paused, thinking of Freedan. _There's more to his story than I thought… But what could his story be? Hmmm…_

As these thoughts rolled through my mind, I followed Freedan's instructions and found the Gold Room. Multiple golden tiles littered the floor. Other than that, the room was ordinary, no door in site.

"Alright, he said… 'chant the melody in the Gold Room…'" I took out my flute and played the Melody of the Wind. When touched by the echo of the flute one of the tiles began to glow. I walked over and inspected it.

"Okay…now what?" On a whim, I stepped on it. Nothing happened. "Okaaay… This is lame… I thought a door or something would open… Guess not…"

As I was about to get off, a door finally opened. I stared at it a little confused. _Delayed effect, anyone?_

I walked out the door and into sunlight. I was back outside and on the cliffs. Two ladders led down to a statue below. I went down one of these ladders and on the statue was an alter with an indent.

_Now what? _I examined the indent, an idea forming in my head. _The Statues!_

So I took out one of the Incan Gold Statues and placed it on the alter. It fit perfectly! Knowing what to do, I quickly placed the other statue in the remaining alter.

Once both statues were placed, a tremendous wind started blowing. I looked in the direction the wind was blowing and saw an opening leading into the cliffs.

"Next stop, that door!"

As I headed in that direction I saw another door to Dark Space. I was tempted not to enter, remembering my fight with Gaia. But thinking of Freedan, I entered.

"Hello, Young Will." greeted Gaia, once again.

I ignored her and walked up to the statue of Freedan. _Hey… _I called.

_I'm sensing negative emotions… What happened? _he asked.

_Ah, its nothing… _I said, evading the question. _Freedan…why are you helping me?_

_I need a reason? _was his quick reply.

_Uh, no… Its just… _"Oh, what am I doing? This is stupid…" I said allowed.

"Indeed." said Gaia, butting in. "Will, listen… Up ahead is a fearsome enemy. Only by working together will you defeat him."

"Its not Freedan I have a problem with!" I said annoyed. _Its you…_

_I'm sorry… What's me? _asked Freedan.

_Gah! I mean…uh… I need your help…_

_Very well then…_

I sighed, awaiting my unconsciousness.**

* * *

Woot Woot! Up next is the Fearsome Castoth! I still believe, to this day, that he is the hardest first boss. I mean, he's harder than the Last boss! But that's just me…**

**Anywho…**

**Till next Chap!**


	7. Incan Gold Ship

**Sorry it took so long. Here's chap Seven!**

* * *

"Freedan," said Gaia as soon as he regained control, "The demon up ahead… When he suffers damage he will use an extremely powerful attack. Be careful."

He nodded. "What has happened with Will? He seems upset…"

Gaia looked surprised. "Does his well being matter to you?"

"Of course not." he said quickly. "I just don't want to be the center point of all his questions."

"I see…" Gaia sighed. "Then perhaps you can get him focused on the task at hand?"

"Perhaps…" He went to leave.

"Freedan, be careful… This enemy is extremely powerful."

"Heh, is it possible you are concerned about my well being?" he asked. Gaia was silent. "No, of course not…" He said grimly. "I am but another tool, correct?"

With that, he left the Dark Space and headed for the door cut into the cliffs. After a quick jump, in which the mighty wind carried him to his destination, he entered the door.

Suddenly it shut behind him and he was trapped! He remained calm and searched the room. It was small, too small for a long battle. A pit took up most of the room, leaving little space to walk around. Where the pit led, he didn't know. There were no other exits.

All of a sudden the room began to shake. Freedan took out his sword as a giant demonic hand rose out of the pit. He steadied himself as a second hand popped out followed by the head.

"So… Castoth is my enemy this time…" said Freedan slowly.

_What do you mean 'this time'? _asked Will.

He ignored him and prepared for battle. Castoth was red with horns and green eyes that seemed to be filled with hatred. It glared down at Freedan, ready to kill.

It swiped at him with his claws. Freedan dodged and slashed at its hands. The demon roared in pain and pulled its hands back in the pit, away from Freedan's sword.

Freedan paused, awaiting its next attack. Bad move. Suddenly a stream of fire came flying at him. He hurled himself against the wall, missing the stream by inches.

Castoth took this momentary lapse to summon three fireballs in the shape of a triangle. He release it and it flew around the room, narrowly missing Freedan.

_Freedan, get him! He's open! _yelled Will.

Nodding, Freedan spun with his sword hitting Castoth right in the face. He avoided another fire stream and continued slashing away.

Suddenly, the demon began to shake. Freedan readied himself, getting ready for its next attack. From the diamond in the beast's forehaed multiple rays of light shot toward him. Freedan jumped out of the way as the barrage continued.

_You okay? _asked Will worriedly.

_This enemy is stronger than I thought…_

_Hang in there!_

With Will's words of encouragement, Freedan grasped his sword tighter and charged the demon determined. He swung at its hands which had reemerged and went straight for the demon's weak spot: The crystal on its head.

Castoth unleashed another set of Tri-Fireballs but Freedan ignored it. With one last swing of his sword, Freedan administered the final blow!

Castoth roared in pain and self-destructed, leaving no trace of itself behind.

Freedan sighed, sheathing his sword. "And thus it ends…"

_Freedan!_

He cringed as Will screamed in his head. _Yes, Will?_

_That was awesome! _he continued happily.

_I was merely doing my duty…_

_Don't be so modest! You Beasted that thing! Admit it!_

"'Beasted'? he said aloud. He shook his head. "Society these days…"

_Freedan?_

_Very well… I…'beasted'…it…_

_Alright! _He paused. _Now what?_

_Now…its your turn._

_Wha?_

Freedan sighed. _You no longer need my assistance… Till next we meet… _He closed his eyes and kneeled.

_Wait! Freedan! I want to ask you-_

He was enveloped in a bright light and was gone.

**X**

"Dammit, Freedan!" I said to no one in particular. "Why's he always got to be like that?" I paused and looked around.

A door leading out had appeared after Castoth was destroyed. Having no other option, I exited. The door led to a long corridor which ended up being a dead end.

Spotting a hole in the ground I was left with only one option: Jump. Taking a deep breath, I jumped down the hole.

I fell for a good while but managed to land on my feet. I tried to see where I was but it was dark. As my eyes adjusted I gasped. I was on a ship, but not just _any_ ship…

"The Incan Gold Ship!" I gasped and looked around. Sure enough, it was a ship, and it was made of gold. I paused. _I feel like someone's there…_

I started walking along the deck when I noticed some people. They were dressed strangely and seemed to be celebrating.

I walked up to a man and asked, "Hey, what's going-"

Suddenly a little girl ran up to me. "Look! Look! The King has returned! Hee hee, And he's much shorter!" She ran threw a door leading downstairs spreading the news.

"It's the King!" said the man in front of me. "You're safe! Now we can set sail!"

_I'm the King? _"Hey, what's going on?" I asked confused. "Who are you?"

A woman came up from below and grabbed my hand. "Oh, what good news this is! We've waited such a long time…" She began dragging me downstairs. "The Queen is in her state room. Please, this way…"

"Hey! I protested. "Where are you taking me? What Queen?"

The woman just laughed. "Surely you jest! Don't you remember? She still wears the ring you gave her when you were separated by the invaders…"

_Invaders? _I looked around at al the people. _Are these the Incans? But…how can that be?_

The woman led me right into the state room. There, a woman with long black hair sat on a throne.

_The Queen… _I thought.

She took one look at me and smiled broadly. "My King! You've returned!" She was so happy she was nearly in tears.

I kind 'a felt bad. I wasn't the King she longed for…

She wiped them away and said, "As you know, I've been guarding the Statue of the Wind, that you received from the Spirits. Its in the chest below… Please, go get it…"

"Um…sure…" I left the state room and headed below where I found a large chest. Opening it I saw…

"A Mystic Statue!" I gasped as I took it. "I actually found one!" I sighed, realizing I was one step closer to finding my father.

A man with a feather headdress walked up to me. "Preparations are being made to set sail. Are you going to the crow's nest? It sure to be a spectacular view…"

"Uh, sure!" I said, still excited over the Mystic Statue. "I'll go!"

So I went back on deck and climbed the mast. As I reached the top an Incan guard turned to me.

"Oh, short King… Look there! The ship is coming out of the cave!"

Sure enough, in no time at all, the ship exited the cave and into the sunlight. The man below was right, it _was_ a spectacular view. Blue ocean stretched for as far as I could see…

"After living in darkness for so long, the brightness is like a new beginning. How can invaders come to destroy a world as beautiful as this?" asked the man sadly.

As I looked out over the ocean I began to feel sorry for the Incans. They were a peaceful tribe only trying to survive. They didn't deserve to be invaded and live in darkness only to leave their homes… I sighed.

The guard turned to me. "If you are tired, short King, then you should rest below…"

"Yeah, maybe I will…" As I climbed down I thought of all that had happened. The Moon Tribe, Larai Cliffs, Gaia, Freedan, and now this. It got me thinking of what else my journey would bring me to?

I went below deck where a woman directed me to a bed I could use.

"Please, rest here…" She smiled. "You've been gone so long but now we can start anew…"

I nodded, already half asleep. I rolled over and that was it.

When I awoke, I was back home. I got out of bed and looked around. My room was exactly as I remembered it. It was like I had never left.

"What's going on?" I wondered aloud.

I headed downstairs to find out what was going on but what I saw next shocked me into silence. Standing by the window, in her usual blue dress, was my mother, Shira.

"M-Mom?-!" I gasped. Quickly I ran to her. "Mom!"

She smiled at me warmly like she used to. "Look in the sky. The Comet is so beautiful…"

_The Comet? _"Mom, what's-"

She turned from me to look out the window. "After years and years the Comet approaches Earth, then recedes. Some say its an unlucky star. Some say it's a lucky star…" She turned to me, "Will, what do you think?"

_Mom… _"I think…" I thought of all the Moon Tribe had said, and of what Gaia had told me. "I think…its an unlucky star…"

My mom smiled. "Alright… Then hope that the bad luck doesn't come." She moved closer and hugged me. "Will… I am always watching over you…"

I hugged her back, trying not to cry. "Mom…"

Suddenly I heard Lilly's voice.

"Will! Will, wake up!"

I opened my eyes and looked around. _Was that just…a dream…? _Looking around the ship I begun to think my whole experience onboard was a dream. Gone was the gold and people. Instead they were replaced by decayed wood and bones…

As I focused on Lilly I discovered one more thing out of place. "Lance?-! What are _you_ doing here?" I exclaimed.

"You were acting strange so we followed you. " He said. "Then we found this weird town-"

"Hey! Don't call it weird! I was born there!" said Lilly hurt.

"Its invisible. I'd call that weird…" He turned to me." Will, ya cant go on a journey and not tell us! We're friends, aren't we? Friends share the good times and the bad, got it?"

I smiled, glad to see my friend. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry…" I got out of the bed and asked Lilly, "How did you know I was here?"

She shrugged. "It got late. When you didn't show I asked the Elder if something had happened to you. He said that you were floating alone at sea… Boy was I surprised when we found you!"

I looked around, "Where's Kara?"

"You mean the spoiled brat?" asked Lance. "She's that way." He pointed towards the state room.

"Kay, thanks…" I started heading that way, wanting to know how she was doing. As I walked I kept getting this creepy feeling, like something was wrong. Just moments before this ship was filled with life and happiness…now it was filled with suffering and disaster…

Kara was in the state room like Lance had said. She was staring at the skeletal remains of the Incan Queen.

As I approached she said, "They were waiting for the King's return… She must have loved him very much…"

"She did…" I said sadly. "She always wore that ring on her finger. It was a gift from the King." I said, remembering what the Incan woman had told me.

Lilly walked over to us and said, "That ring is probably the most valuable artifact on this ship."

"Many people have lost their lives trying to find this ring…" Kara stared at it in awe. "Its so pretty; I want it!"

Lilly glared at her, "Have you no shame? You could be cursed!"

Suddenly the ship began to shake violently.

"What's going on?-!" screamed Kara in fear.

The ship continued to shake as we tried to figure out what was going on.

"Maybe its Riverson!" yelled Lilly.

_Riverson? Wait a minute… _"Lilly, how do you know about that?"

"Seth told me!"

"Seth is here?-!"

The ship gave another violent shake, this one harder than the last.

"_Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!_"

"What was that?-!" yelled Kara.

"Stay here!" I ordered. I ran back the way I had come, bumping into Lance on the way. "What happened?"

"I don't know! Its coming from the deck! Lets check it out!"

I nodded and together we headed on deck. It was heard to stay upright, what with all the shaking. When we made it up I was hit with another familiar site.

"Erik!"

Lance ran right up to him and asked. "What happened to Seth? Where is he?-!"

Erik was obviously terrified. "Seth…Seth…he-he…waahhh!"

Lance grabbed him by his collar. "Erik, what happened?-!"

"A-A huge fish…it ran into the ship! Yeah! A-And then…Seth, he fell into the water…and…and…the fish swallowed him!"

"What?-!" I exclaimed.

"What did you say?-!"

We were cut off as yet another shake rocked the boat. Erik lost it.

He began running around crying, "Aaaggh! It's the fish again! We'll all be dessert!"

"Stop crying and grab this!" yelled Lance.

He threw a rope at Erik which he caught. Lance was about to throw me the other end when the ship was rammed again. This time harder and more violently than the rest.

I tried to grab onto the railing but was knocked backwards, down the stairs. The last thing I remember was seeing Erik and Lance falling overboard then darkness…**

* * *

Don't you just Love cliffhangers? Anywho… You should know what's next.**

**Till next Chap!**


	8. Drifting

**And thus we drift…**

* * *

"Will! Will, please wake up! Don't leave me here alone!"

Slowly I opened my eyes and got up. Looking around I saw Kara leaning over me, "Kara?"

"Oh thank goodness!" She sighed, relieved. "You've been out for half a day; I was getting worried…"

I looked at my surroundings. We were on a small piece of wood, probably a part of the boat, the ocean surrounded us on all sides with nothing in site. It was just me and Kara.

I shook my head, "Kara, what happened?"

"The ship was attacked… I didn't know what to do. You left me…" she began to sob. "Then…there was this big 'bam' and-and…"

"Its okay…" I said gently. "We're fine now."

She sniffed. "You're right…" She looked around. "I've read about being adrift but I never thought it would happen to me…"

"Disasters sometimes happen suddenly…" I said sadly.

She gave me an encouraging smile. "Don't be upset. Don't think about the future; lets just enjoy drifting for now."

"Yeah, sure…" I sat down thinking of my journey so far. First prison, then Gaia, now this… What could possibly be next?

Suddenly Kara piped up. "I'm starved. Will, lets eat the meat we brought from the castle."

I shook my head. _Here we are, lost at sea, and she wants to eat the only food we have… Great…_

"Will."

"Yeah yeah…"

So I got out the large yummy roast leg of yak and together we ate it. Maybe I'm being optimistic but it was better than any food I'd ever had.

Drifting Day 2

You know, I don't think I will ever get used to drifting. The day goes by slowly, with nothing to do. Sometimes a fish would jump out of the water providing entertainment but it was over quickly.

Kara stared at the jumping fish in awe. "Beautiful… Even after seeing it all day, I never get tired…"

I tried hitting a fish once. All that did was make Kara mad and yell at me.

I sighed. _This is worse than that jail cell… At least Then I didn't have Kara to bug me…_

Time passed slowly with nothing to breach the monotony. Kara just stared at the fish all day. I couldn't stand it. I walked around the raft, talking to Kara when it got too quiet or boring. A minute seemed like forever. But eventually time passed…

Drifting Day 4

It was sunset. After another boring day of fish gazing I was ready to call it quits. Suddenly Kara stood up.

"I have a premonition… Help is coming!"

I sighed, "Sure it is…"

She begun to cross the raft, looking at something. "What is that?"

I got up and followed her gaze. There was a bottle in the water! It drifted to our raft and I picked it up. In it was a letter. I read it aloud so Kara could hear:

_"We are on a ship on our way to be sold as forced labor in an unknown land. If anyone reads this, please save us…"_

_Sam_

Kara sighed. "You said you wanted to be saved…but its _me_ who needs saving. Oh, I'm so starved!"

"Hmph, you shouldn't have yelled at me for hitting those fish. We could have kept some and-"

"I can hurt such a pretty fish!" she whined.

"Are you saying its better to starve?-!" I yelled angrily.

"Raw fish give me the creeps! I cant eat it!" she yelled back. "Besides, the fish are fighting to stay alive, too! Fish feel pain. Have you ever thought of how the fish feels?-!"

I stared at her, not believing what she was saying. "You'd rather let the fish live and die yourself?"

"If you want to eat it then fine!" she yelled angrily. "I'm not going to eat it!" She stormed off to the other side of the raft, fuming.

Kara didn't say another word all day. A typical princess… She's such a bother…

Drifting Day 7

_Ugh… An entire week at sea… _I looked at Kara. She still wasn't talking to me. I watched a school of fish jump by. My stomach growled. _That's it! Sayonara, Fishes!_

I took out my flute and hit a couple of fish. They flopped on the raft. As I ate them I kind of felt bad but hey, it was me or the fish!

As I finished off my fish, Kara walked over to me. "Will…" she said slowly, looking down. "Sorry I talked to you that way the other day… I'll-I'll try to eat the fish."

I looked at her. _She's apologizing, isn't she?_

"I cant do anything if I starve… Only in peace time can you refuse food you don't like…"

I smiled, "Yeah, lets catch a fish. A good one."

She smiled back. "Yes, lets."

I got up and caught a couple more fish. Kara happily ate them after giving it a try. I laughed as she asked for more.

"Careful, don't want you looking like Hamlet!" I joked.

"Hmm… Poor Hamlet… He must be lonely…"

After I caught a fish I sat down beside her. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's fine." I gave her the fish.

She took it happily. "Thank you, Will… For everything…" She gave me a small smile.

I blushed slightly, "Yeah well… I'm here to protect you, remember?"

She laughed, "Of course."

As we drifted off to sleep that night I found that I was starting to develop feelings for Kara.

Drifting Day 12

It was a peaceful night. Kara and I had just eaten some fish and were gazing up at the stars.

"The stars are beautiful…" Kara sighed. "If I were taller I could reach them. Surely, Lance and Lilly are looking up at the same star studded sky…" She gazed at the sea which reflected the night sky. "If I could talk to the stars…I could find out where everybody is…"

"Don't worry…" I said. "They're probably looking up at the sky thinking the same thing…" _Still, I wonder how they're doing?_

Kara looked back at the sky. "There seems to be an extra star near the constellation of Cygnus…"

"Really? Where?"

She pointed up. "There! That red one…" She glanced at me. "Shall we make a wish upon that star? I have a feeling it will come true…"

"Um sure… Why not?"

"Ok then!" She smiled. "You have to close your eyes though."

"Alright…" I closed my eyes. "I hope for…everyone's safety, and for my Father…" I opened them and looked at Kara. "Okay, your turn."

She closed her eyes. After a minute or so she opened them again.

"So, what did you wish for?" I asked.

She looked at me slyly. "It's a secret."

"Oh, I see how it is…" I looked up at he night sky.

"Will…" she said softly.

"Yeah?"

She moved closer to me, "I hope your wish comes true…"

Drifting Day 18

Kara sat up and looked at me. "We've been drifting for almost three weeks now. Hasn't your hair gotten a little long?" she laughed. "Just a little?"

I laughed along with her. _Kara doesn't act like a spoiled princess anymore. If you told someone she was one of the island girls, no one would doubt it._

Suddenly Kara screamed, "Aah! What is that?-! There…in the water!"

I got up, away from the side of the raft, and looked to where she was pointing. Several fins could be seen protruding from the water.

"Are they sharks?-! We could be eaten… What should we do?" she panicked.

"Calm down… They're circling but they're not attacking…" I said. "Lets stay cool and see what happens…"

She gulped, "Okay…"

After about five minutes of watching them circle Kara relaxed.

"I got it! They're not hungry!" She turned to me, "My grandpa told me that only Humans attack living things when they're not hungry."

"Then what we're doing isn't usual human behavior." I thought a minute. "We didn't eat the fish until we were starving…"

"That's right." We watched the sharks as the left. "See? They're going! Bye Sharkies!"

Drifting Day 21

It was sunset again. Nothing new there.

Suddenly Kara sighed. "When I was in the castle I loved watching the sunset… The sunset was so beautiful from the corridor of the castle…"

"I bet." I said, remembering the view.

"But now I hate it." she continued. "After the sun sets, darkness comes… I thought I'd never see the sunrise again…" She turned to me. "But since you're with me, I see a beautiful sunrise every morning…" She blushed slightly. "With you by my side, I can even enjoy times like these."

I stood up and looked at her. _Kara… I want to say the same things to you, but somehow the words just wont come out. _I simply nodded, saying nothing…

"Will? Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine… Listen, Kara, I-"

Suddenly I felt dizzy. I saw the world spin as I fell to the ground, losing consciousness. The last thing I remember was Kara kneeling over me.

"Will! Will, what's wrong?-! Wake up!" Tears began streaming down her face. "Don't leave me here alone! _Will!_"

* * *

**Up next… The City of Petals! But every rose has its thorns…**

**Till next Chap!**


	9. Freejia

**The party reunites yet all is not well… Thus begins chap 9!**

* * *

"Will… Will, wake up! We've reached land! We're saved!"

Slowly I awoke. I shook my head groggily and looked around. "Kara? What happened? Where are we?" Suddenly I noticed another person in the room. "Who's he?"

"He saved us!" answered Kara happily.

The man smiled. "You should thank my dog, Turbo. He's the one that found your raft and came to get me."

I sat up slowly. "What happened to me?"

"Scurvy." said the man. "It's a disease caused by a long term lack of vitamin C. Columbus' crew contracted it once." he added.

I nodded and went to stand by Kara. She smiled at me, relieved that I was okay. I smiled back.

"Will he be alright?" asked Kara.

"Sure, as long as he takes vitamin C." He turned to me. "You're lucky… When it gets worse the blood gets bad and the skin turns black… The gums bleed… and the body starts decaying… And then-"

"Stop it!" Kara shook her head. "I don't want to listen to such talk!" She headed outside. "I'm going to play with Turbo."

The man laughed as she left. "Seems like quite a handful…"

_You have no idea… _"By the way… Where exactly did we wash up?" I asked.

"This's the south outskirts of Oakton. The city of Freejia is half a day to the north." He paused. "Your friend tells me you're looking for your lost comrades."

I nodded. "Yeah, we are…" _I wonder how they're doing?_

"Well if you're looking for your friends, a big city is the best place to search."

"Thanks, for everything."

"No problem."

I waved good bye and met Kara outside. She was petting a small brown and white dog.

"Hey, Kara." I greeted.

She looked up to me. "Will! Oh, this is Turbo. Isn't he cute?"

"Yeah, sure…" I bent down and scratched him behind the ears. "Thanks, Turbo."

"Woof woof!"

Kara laughed. "I think he likes you…"

I paused as I remembered our last conversation before I blacked out. I blushed slightly. "Anyway… We should get going."

"Alright then…" She smiled hopefully. "Who knows? Maybe we'll see Lance, Lilly and Erik?"

"I sure hope so…"

So after saying good bye to Turbo, we set off for Freejia. It was a quick trip and soon we arrived.

"Wow! Its so pretty!" exclaimed Kara. She hugged my arm. "Isn't it romantic?"

"Um…yeah, sure…" I felt my face go red and quickly looked away from her, scanning the town.

It _was_ a pretty place. Fancy buildings littered the streets in immaculate rows, people greeted everyone nicely… And to top it off, the cherry trees were in bloom. A light breeze jostled them making the blossoms float through the air… It was very beautiful. But something didn't feel right. It was _too_ beautiful…like it was trying to hide something…

As we took in the scenery a man in a fancy suit approached us.

"What a cute couple!" he said nicely.

Kara squealed beside me. "Did you hear that, Will? He thinks we're a couple!"

I groaned to myself. _Sometimes, Kara…gets on my nerves…_

"Have you decided where you'll be staying tonight?" asked the man.

"No, we haven't." I said bluntly. "We're actually kind of busy. We're looking for someone…"

The man didn't back down as he said, "Well, why not base your search at my hotel? Its perfect!"

"Oh, come on, Will!" whined Kara. "It cant hurt. Besides, I'm exhausted…"

"But, Kara-"

"Its settled!" announced the hotel guy. "Right this way…"

I glared at him as he walked away.

"Come on, Will!" She began following the guy, dragging me along with her.

When we arrived at the hotel the man bowed and opened the door for us. Once inside, I made sure to get my arm back from Kara. She gave me a slight pout face but said nothing.

"So…where's the receptionist?" I asked.

"Coming!" yelled a voice from upstairs. There was a 'crash' and our receptionist came running down the stairs. "Sorry about that…" she said. Finally she looked up and gasped. "Will?-! Kara?-!"

"Lilly?-! Is that you?-!" gasped Kara.

I looked up at Lilly. She looked the same as last I saw her except for one thing… "Lilly, what are you wearing?" I asked.

"Huh?" She looked at her outfit, blushing slightly. "What? I _have_ to wear this! Its my uniform."

"Uniform?"

"Yep… I've been working and living at this hotel for a while now…"

Kara saw me checking out Lilly and turned to me upset. "Will, do you prefer that outfit to mine?"

"Huh? What?" I frowned slightly. _Uh oh… I'm sensing some bad vibes… _"N-Not really…"

"Do you think I look stupid?" asked Lilly suddenly.

"What? No! I-" I looked between both girls. They were staring at me, waiting for an answer. I sighed. _Women… _Changing the subject I asked, "Lilly, do you know where Lance and Erik are?"

She dropped her guard at the mention of Lance and Erik. "Yeah… Lance is in the next room…"

Something about the way she said that gave me a bad feeling. I entered the next room with the girls following. My face lit up as I saw Lance.

"Yo, Lance!" I greeted. "Long time so see! What's up?"

He stared at me blankly, "Do I know you?"

"Huh?"

Lilly pulled me aside. "Lance hit his head escaping from the Incan ship… The doctor said he has temporary amnesia…"

"Amnesia?-!" gasped Kara. "That's awful!"

"So he doesn't remember any of us?" I asked. I turned to my friend sadly. _Oh Lance…_

He turned to us curiously and said. "They say I don't know who I am. Kind of strange… If I don't know who I am then how did I get here?"

I shook my head sadly. _This is all My fault… If I hadn't of gotten onboard that ship, Lance wouldn't have followed me and he wouldn't be in this mess…_

"Don't blame yourself." said Lilly. "He'll get over it…eventually…"

"What about Erik?" asked Kara worriedly. "Is he alright?"

Lilly shook her head. "I haven't seen him since last night. I hope nothing bad happened to him…"

_Just like Erik to get in trouble… _"Don't worry. I'll go and find Erik."

"You want me to go with you?" asked Lilly.

"Nah… You and Kara can stay here. I'll be fine." Before I left I glanced back at Lance. _I promise…I'll find a way to fix this… Count on it._

I left the hotel and started the search for Erik. Most of the townsfolk said the same thing Lilly had told me. 'They saw him last night but that was all'.

I sighed and leaned up against a post. _Erik, where Are you…? _"Excuse me ma'am…" I called to a lady passing by. "Have you seen a guy named Erik around here?"

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't…"

I sighed tiredly. _Damn… It was worth a shot…_

"Are you new around here?" she asked me.

"Mmm-hmm…"

She leaned in closer, like she didn't want anyone to hear her. "Listen to me carefully…" she whispered. "You'd better not go in the back streets. Just like a rose has its thorns, a pretty town has another side, too…" With that she quickly hurried away.

I stared after her, thinking of what she said. _Maybe I was right when I thought this town was hiding something… And maybe Erik got himself involved in whatever it is…_

With that thought in mind, I turned down a side street and entered what could best be described as the 'slums' of Freejia. Gone was the nice buildings and friendly faces. In its place were worn down shacks and cold glares.

_So much for the 'City of Petals'… More like the 'City of Nettles'… _

As I traveled the back roads I started to notice something. There were a bunch of men in cloaks huddled together talking in whispers. I could only make out bits and pieces of their conversation but what I could understand I didn't like.

Apparently someone had tried to free some laborers but got caught in the process. I hoped it wasn't Erik… Wanting to gain more information I thought the best thing to do was to talk to the laborers themselves. I found the camp easy enough but the man in charge was giving me problems I didn't need.

"Beat it, kid!" he growled for the third time. "I'm tell'en ya… Get lost!"

"And I'm telling _you_ to move it or else!" I yelled back.

"Or else what?" he scoffed. "You gunna beat me up with your flute? Ha!"

_If it comes to that… _I didn't really want to start whacking the guy. The other Traders in the room would gang up on me easily. So I decided to change tactics. "What if I said I was looking for…hired help?"

The Trader's eyes lit up. "You're a customer?"

"Uh…yes. And I'd appreciate it if you moved so I could examine the merchandise."

"By all means…examine away…" He moved aside allowing me access to the slaves.

I walked up to one and pretended to examine him. "Hey…" I whispered. "What's your name?"

He looked at me suspiciously. "I am called Imas."

"Imas…how did you get here?" I asked.

"I was brought from far off Asia. We were a hunting tribe," he said. "Only hunting when we needed. But all the animals fell victim to an unknown disease…"

The slave next to him said, "Our game disappeared and we had nothing to eat. " He looked at me sadly. "We had no choice but to become laborers…"

I nodded, taking this all in. Finally I asked, "Do any of you know a guy named Erik?"

Imas turned to a third slave. "Was that not the name of the man who helped us, Sam?"

The slave named Sam nodded. "He helped us escape but we were caught by the salve traders…" He turned to me. "Please, save him! They took him to a house on a corner of a back street. He was only trying to do what was right…"

"Don't worry. I'll definitely save him." I said determined. I got up and left, heading for my destination. It wasn't long until I found it. _Back street corner house… This has to be the place. _I knocked a couple times until someone answered.

"If you don't want to lose your lives, go away!" yelled a voice.

_Okay… Nice to meet you too… _"Is a guy named Erik there?"

There was a paused. "Never heard of such a name. Why do you ask?"

Suddenly I heard another voice. This one sounding familiar. "Will? Is that you? Save me! Will-"

His sentence was cut short as I heard a loud 'Bonk' noise.

"Quiet you!" yelled the first voice.

_That's it! This door's going down! _I focused my energy and in a second I was ready. "_Psycho Dash!_"

The door broke down easily and before I could grab the thug, he ran out screaming like a pansy.

I shook my head. _Loser… Ack!_

I was brought out of my thoughts as Erik hugged me. "_Will?-!_" he cried. "You came to rescue me!"

"Yeah, I know. Now let go…"

"Oh…" He let go, embarrassed. "Sorry about that…"

"Its cool…" I faced my friend. "Erik, how did this happen?"

"Well… I tried to sneak into the camp and rescue three laborer brothers but I got caught…"

"I know that." I said. "But why?"

"The laborers were forced to work in the Diamond Mines! Do you have any idea what kind of place that is? Its horrible!" he yelled.

I took a step back. _Uh oh… Erik's getting carried away again… That could only mean one thing…_

"Will! You _have_ to help them!" he finished passionately.

_Trouble… _"Listen, Erik, we have other things to-"

"No!" he interrupted. "Nothing is more important than saving innocent lives. Will, you must!"

I sighed. _You know… When he gets like this I just want to whack him… _"Fine…"

He smiled widely. "Really?-! Oh, Will! You're the best!"

"Yeah, I know. Just don't hug me again…"

"Okay. But you cant tell anyone…"

"What? Why not?" I asked confused.

He fidgeted a little. "Lets just keep it a secret between me and you okay? I wouldn't want the ladies to realize what a cool guy I am. It'll send the wrong vibes…"

_The day you become cool is the day pigs fly… _"Sure, whatever… Just tell me where it is…"

So after receiving the mine's location I headed off. I didn't bother saying good bye to anyone. I figured this would be an easy in-out thing. I was wrong…

* * *

**Woot Woot! Diamond Mine time!  
Little bit of Trivia for ya: The dog Turbo is actually from Soul Blazer, the prequel to Illusion of Gaia!**

**Till next Chap!**


	10. Diamond Mines

**Chapter 10: The Return of Freedan! Lol Just kidding…**

**Here we go!**

* * *

The trip itself took three whole days. Going to free the slaves as _another_ matter…

I took a deep breath to steady myself and entered the mine. I had to wait for my eyes to adjust seeing as it was so dark. Various torches scattered here and there were the only sources of light.

_Erik was right. I'm only at the entrance and already I feel horrible. _The Diamond Mine was as quiet as a tomb. A chill went down my spine as I heard screaming from the back of the cave. I shuddered, gulped, grabbed my flute, and proceeded in.

I was expecting to fight Human guards but the guards in this mine were demons. I gripped my flute tightly and charged. My enemy appeared to be a humanoid lizard donned in armor and sporting a chain whip.

I dodged his weapon easily enough and slashed him from behind. Taking flute in both hands, I used a spin attack to administer the final blow. The demon fell to the ground and moved no more.

"Not bad…" _Still not as good as Freedan… _I was so rapped up in my battle I didn't notice the laborer next to me.

"Excuse me…sir?"

"Huh?" I looked down at him. He was chained to a ball and covered in dust and dirt from working in the mine. I approached him slowly and that's when I noticed all the cuts and bruises on his skin. "Are you alright?"

He hesitated, probably wondering if he could trust me or not. As an act of faith I cut his chain with my flute. He looked up at me like I was some savior, which I guess to him, I was.

"Oh, thank you! _Thank you!_"

"Yeah, no problem…" I wasn't really sure of what to do so I went along with it. "Hey, are there more of you in here?"

"Oh, yes! There are eight laborers, including me, who are forced to work in this mine. Please save them!"

"That's what I'm here for…" _That, and Erik would never leave me alone if I said 'No'._

"Oh, bless you!"

By this point the was practically groveling at my feet. To be honest, it creeped me out. "Listen, you should get out of here. I'll handle the rest."

He nodded and quickly left.

I stared deeper into the mine. _One down…seven to go… _

It wasn't long before I reached the second laborer. He was being guarded by another demon which I dispatched easily. I broke the chain and helped the laborer up.

"You okay?"

"Oh, yes… Thank you…" he said. He leaned in closer. "As a reward I'll tell ye a secret…"

I had to stop myself from gagging. His breath was rank… "W-What is it?"

"There's a secret room in this mine, see? But you should be able to find it easily. Just watch for the wind blow'en through the cracks in the wall…" He started running off.

"Hey!" I called, but he was already gone. _Wind through cracks…? I guess I'll keep that in mind…_

As I continued through the mine, I came across a portal to Dark Space. I ignored it. There was no way I was going in there. Freedan never talked to me and Gaia just pissed me off. _Besides, I'm doing just fine on my own._

That thought remained true until I reached a much larger room. _Shit… _My heart sank as I noticed an enemy that was far outside my reach. _Guess I'll need them after all…_

After clearing the room I continued forward. Several demons rushed to defeat me but I destroyed them easily. After killing the sixth one I started to get nervous.

_Where are the laborers? _I leaned against a wall, trying to catch my breath. _Damn… This is harder than I thought… _I closed my eyes, resting.

And that's when the demon attacked.

I felt this searing pain on my side and fell to the floor. "Shit! What the hell was that?" I looked up and saw one of those purple demons coming at me. "Dammit!"

I grit my teeth against the pain and got up to attack. I swung with my flute but the demon put up a barrier and my flute went right through him.

I took a step back and that's when the demon began charging its laser.

"Not this time!" I yelled and swung as hard as I could. It connected and crushed its skull instantly.

I leaned against the wall and slid to the floor panting. I put my hand over my wound to stop the bleeding and flinched as a shot of pain went up my side.

"Damn…" _I guess I let my guard down… This isn't good… _I was hurt, bad, and miles away from any help. I sat there for a good while thinking of what to do.

That's when I felt it. A soft breeze coming through the cracks in the wall. Slowly I stood up and examined it. _This wall is just like the one in Itory Village… _With that thought in mind I begun storing my energy.

"_Psycho Dash!_" The wall crumbled easily, revealing another room which was empty except for a Dark Space portal. I sighed, relieved. _Who would have thought I'd ever be happy to see that? _I stumbled into the portal and collapsed on the floor.

"Will? Are you alright?" asked Gaia.

I looked at her skeptically. _Is she actually worried about me?_

"Here, let me heal your wounds…"

Thee was a bright flash and astonishingly enough my wounds disappeared.

I sat up awkwardly and checked myself. _Wow… _"Um…thanks…"

She nodded. "Contrary to what you believe, I _am_ here to help."

_Sure you are… _I looked around. There was Freedan's' statue on her right except it looked different. "Hey… What's-"

"Will…" she interrupted. "You must learn that we are not your enemies. We are your allies and perhaps the only ones you can rely on when the time comes…"

I listened to her words and thought of what she had to say. "You're probably right. " I said. "I just wish you would be a little more open with me. Gathering Mystic Statues and saving the world is a lot for one guy to handle, you know?"

She nodded, understanding what I was trying to say.

I smiled. _Even if we don't see eye to eye…we can still meet each other halfway… _"So…" I said, glancing at the new statue. "What's up with this?"

"Touch it."

I laughed. I couldn't help myself. "I've heard _that_ one before…" Sighing, I placed my hand on the statue.

_Will…_

I was surprised to hear Freedan's voice. _Freedan?_

_You require my assistance?_

I nodded. _I do._

_Alright then._

**X**

Freedan put his palm on the statue. He flinched slightly as the electric like current swept through his body but quickly passed.

"And what power am I receiving this time?" he asked Gaia.

"The Dark Friar is a dark power that only you, the Dark Knight, may use." said Gaia. "It should make destroying far targets easier."

Before he left, Freedan turned to Gaia. "Did something happen? You seem unusually…pleasant…"

She smiled. "Just the affects of meeting halfway…"

He nodded and left, heading for the demon Will had skipped. When he arrived he examined the enemy. It was far outside his reach so he decided to use his new skill.

Focusing his energy, he swung his sword creating a ball of energy that flew towards its mark. The demon was destroyed in one hit. Now that the demon was out of the way, he continued on his quest.

_Um… Freedan? _asked Will.

_What is it?_

_Er… Nothing. Never mind._

Freedan shook his head. "They're always the same…" He paused to reflect on his thoughts. "Although… Will is an improvement over my former companion…"

_Freedan? _Will asked again.

_What is it, Will?_

He hesitated. _Can I ask you something?_

_Only if you don't expect an answer in return._

There was silence as neither commented.

Eventually Freedan came upon another slave. He cut his bounds easily and helped the man up.

"Oh, thank you, kind sir. There are people who are forced to work deep in the Diamond Mines. Please use this key to save them!" He handed a key to Freedan and quickly ran off.

"But what does it go to?" wondered Freedan.

_Freedan! I think it goes to the elevators!_

_Elevators?_

_Uh huh. _answered Will. _There was a shaft awhile back but it was locked. I think that key opens it._

_Fine then… _He pocketed the key and began to back track to the beginning of the dungeon.

Along the way Will kept trying to ask Freedan something but would stop mid-sentence and discontinue. This got on Freedan's nerves and eventually he stopped.

_Will! _he yelled. _Whatever it is, just spit it out!_

Will paused. _Well…um… I'm not sure…_

_Sure of what? _he asked, losing patience.

_What I should ask…_

Freedan nearly slapped himself. "Did I say improvement?" He sighed.

_I just…want to get to know you better… _he started. _After all, we Are supposed to be partners, right?_

_Will… _he said slowly. _I believe there is a time and place for everything. And now is neither the time nor the place._

_But-_

_When I deem you ready, Then I shall open up to you. Until then…_

He closed off communication and entered the elevator. It was a short trip that ended in a small room. In front of him was a locked staircase and to either side was a door. He chose the one on his right first.

He unsheathed his sword, ready for anything that came his way. The room was empty except for the skeletal remains of laborers. Freedan spotted something shiny next to the remains and went to examine it.

As soon as he got close a worm like demon popped out of the ground in a surprise attack but Freedan was ready. In one swing, he sliced it clean in half.

He bent down and picked up the object. Turns out it was a key. "Probably to the staircase…"

He left the room and headed for the one on the left. This room was full of demons. He shook his head piteously. "Sheer numbers cannot make up for a lack of intelligence."

He dispatched them all effortlessly using Dark Friar and freed the slave who rewarded him with the second key to the locked staircase.

After doing a little back tracking, Freedan opened the door leading to the final room and entered. Inside were the last remaining slaves. He freed them all and they circled around him in awe.

"Oh, thank you! Please, sir, our village is far across the ocean. If you could go there, please, help the villagers regain their strength!" begged Remus.

Imas looked down sadly. "All living things in our country have grown strange. People have turned to stone…some are sick with unknown diseases…"

The last slave, Sam, bowed. "Thank you, oh great Knight… Tell me, were you sent here to save us?"

Freedan hesitated.

_Yes! _yelled Will. _Tell him Erik sent you!_

Freedan twitched at having Will yell in his head, yet again. He turned to Sam and nodded. "A man named Erik sent me."

At the mention of Erik, the three slaves exchanged happy faces.

"So he is alright!"

"I had heard from Erik that one of his friends has lost his memory… Legend has it that there is a song that brings back the past."

_Really?-! _exclaimed Will, yelling in Freedan's head again.

"Please, if you are to see his friend, let him hear this melody…"

Will listened intently as Sam hummed a strange tune. When he was done, he looked at Freedan.

"Thank you, Knight… We shall never forget you."

"And I, you." he said. He turned and began leaving. "You should get out of here while you may." Freedan left and began heading towards the exit.

_Yo, Freedan, what's the rush? _asked Will.

_Its nothing…_

Will paused, thinking. _Are you…uncomfortable with crowds?_

_No…_

Will snickered. _You Are, aren't you?_

_I Am Not! _he denied.

_Aw… Then why are you so flustered? _Teased Will.

_I am Not flustered! _he said flustered.

Will laughed in his head. _Flustered! Flustered! You Are Flustered! Hahahahaha!_

Finally Freedan couldn't take it anymore. "That's it! I'm out of here." He kneeled down and quickly gave himself over to Will.

**X**

I awoke laughing. "Hahahahaha! Freedan…haha…flustered…hahaha! Good one!" I wiped a tear from my eye and looked around. He had left me at the beginning of the mine. _Well, that was nice of him…_

I paused, reflecting on my 'detour'. I had managed to free the slaves and find a cure for Lance's amnesia. But what mattered most to me right then was Freedan and my relationship with Gaia.

Sure, we weren't all buddy-buddy but at least now I knew we could get along. And I learned something else too. That deep down, Freedan wasn't as cold as he let on. And that somewhere in all that black armor was a person wishing to some out.

I sighed. _But will he finally open up to me?_

With those thoughts in my mind, among others, I returned to Freejia.**

* * *

Is it just me, or are these chaps getting longer? Up next…stuff…**

**Till next Chap!**


	11. Nazca Plains

**Go! Go! Chocobo!**

* * *

"Will!" yelled Kara angrily. "Where have you been?-!"

"You've been gone for _six_ days!" continued Lilly in the same tone.

"I , uh…" I looked between the two girls unsure of what to do. _Something tells me I'm in trouble…_

"You weren't… You weren't with another _girl_, were you?" asked Kara.

Lilly glared at me. "Were you?"

"No! I…" I looked at Erik, hoping he'd help me out. He simply shrugged as if saying, 'You're on your own, pal!' _Thanks a lot… _I turned to the two angry girls. "I was…trying to find a cure for Lance's amnesia…" It wasn't a lie and I was able to keep my promise to Erik. I smiled. _I'm good…_

At the mention of Lance, Lilly softened. "Really?"

"I still think he was out with a girl!" said Kara snottily.

_Thankfully no one Cares what you think… _I took out my flute. "I think this might help…" _I just hope Sam was telling the truth… _I put the flute to my lips and played the Memory Melody.

As I played, the world seemed to slip away and we were enveloped in darkness. But it didn't feel menacing at all. If anything it felt warm and welcoming, safe.

"What is this place?" asked Lance, looking around.

"Everything that's happened and the people I've met are pouring into my head…" said Lilly.

Suddenly visions of my past began flooding into my mind. The time I spent with my mother… Journeying to the Tower of Babel with my father… Arriving at South Cape… Gaia… Freedan… All of my past experiences flashed through my mind as if I were reliving them again.

"I was raised in the town of South Cape." announced Lance slowly. "When my father didn't come back from an expedition… The most important thing in my life was gone. I didn't know what to do…"

"I couldn't stand my father using soldiers to invade other countries…" admitted Kara. "Its awful when someone loses their life. What had taken years to put together was shattered in an instant…"

"I wonder if Seth is alright?" asked Erik sadly.

"People live on because they forget about unpleasant things…" concluded Lilly.

Afterwards, the darkness faded and all returned to normal.

Lance looked around slightly confused. "Where am I? What have I been doing all this time?"

"Lance! You're memory is back!" exclaimed Lilly happily.

Maybe a little too happily. I eyed them suspiciously. _Does Lilly…?_

"I was so worried!" said Kara. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

Lance looked up to me. "Will. What happened? Where's Seth?"

"Seth… He didn't make it…"

"No! Not Seth…"

We were silent as we grieved for our lost friend.

"So…what do we do now?" asked Lilly.

I didn't know about the others but I knew what I had to do. Find the Mystic Statues and stop the Comet. So far I had managed to collect one. However, I had no clue as to where the other five were.

_My Father had said they were in ruins but… _I sighed. "Is there any ruins around here?" I wondered aloud.

"Why do you ask?" questioned Kara.

_That's right! Only Lilly knows about my quest… And I hope it stays that way. _I didn't want to get my friends mixed up in my problems. I guess, in a way, I was trying to protect them.

"I think there was this guy in the woods nearby that knows something about ruins…" ventured Erik.

Everyone looked at him awkwardly.

"Wow…"

"Erik, that was very…detailed…" said Lilly slowly.

"Well, he's this inventor guy named Neil and-"

"Wait… Did you say Neil?-!" I asked. "That's the same name of my long lost cousin!" _Neil, the inventor, flew in the sky in a thing called an airplane. What that is, I don't know. But he never came back…_

"So are we going?" asked Erik.

"You bet!"

So we headed off to Neil's place. The trip was quick and made even better by the fact that Lance was back to normal and we were all together again.

As I approached the door to the cottage I wondered what I was going to say. Sighing, I opted for the obvious. I knocked saying, "Neil, its me. Will, from South Cape!"

"Will?-!" There was some scuffling noises on the other side of the door. "Please, come in! Its open!"

I glanced at the others, nodded, and entered.

The cottage was a total mess. Various papers and objects were strewn about and in the center of it all was my cousin, Neil. Oh, did I mention the smell?

Kara crinkled her nose in disgust. "This person stinks…"

"Well that's rude! There's a wonderful smell in this room, isn't there?" said Lilly politely, trying not to gag at the wretched stink.

"Hey, now!" said Neil defensively. "You two talk pretty harsh, you know? When you're worked up in inventing something you sort of don't care about your appearance. I don't think the smell is _that_ bad." he admitted. "Not enough to hate me for it anyway. I've only been wearing these socks for three months…"

Kara nearly gagged.

Lance looked around surprised. "I've only hand mine on for three weeks. I guess I lose!"

At this point Kara actually _did_ gag. "I think I'm going to be sick…" She rushed out of the cottage quickly.

Erik, who was looking pale, said, "I'll…just follow her…" He, too, left quickly.

I shook my head sadly.

"Honestly, all this fuss over some socks…" Neil sighed. "Anyway, make yourselves at home. Any friend of Will's is a friend of mine!"

Lance and Lilly sat down at a cluttered table wanting to give me some time with my cousin.

I walked up to him awkwardly. It had been two whole years since I had seen him last and we weren't exactly what you'd call close. We got along just fine but his parents and mine never got along so we never really had a lot of time to bond.

"Hey…" I started. "What's up?"

He smiled. "Ever my little cousin, I see…"

"Hey!"

He laughed. "Although you have gotten a lot stronger since last I saw you. Been working out?"

_Saving the world? Yeah, I guess you could call that a work out. _I smiled. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Who? Me? Inventing, what else?"

"No airplanes, I hope…" I said sarcastically.

"Actually, I have. You see-"

I groaned. _Oh boy… Here it comes… Neil's long speeches of doom…_

"-those wings here are airplane wings. The airplane is a machine that will fulfill man's dream of flying in the sky like a bird. The body is too big and you need a runway to take off so its hidden in the desert." He sighed happily. "Its one of my best inventions and I hope to finish it someday…" He trailed off, slipping into his own little world.

"Neil, hey! Neil!" _Neil can be a handful at times…_

"Oh, Will!" He looked at me as if I had just appeared. "Why are you here again?"

So I told him of my interest in ruins and wanting to explore them. I left out the part about my father and the Mystic Statues. I didn't want to bother trying to explain it all. Besides, I didn't think they'd take the idea of a giant Comet hurtling towards Earth well…

"Interesting… Very interesting…" he grinned. "I, too, have some interest in ruins. Actually, the ruins you talked about are scattered across the globe, however… they do have something in common…"

"What? What is it?" I asked, eager for any clue that would help me later on.

He picked up a pencil and got out a world map. "Drawing a line among the ruins makes a shape that looks like the constellation Cygnus." He demonstrated by drawing it on the map. "And in the center of it all…"

"The Tower of Babel!"

"Correct… The same tower where your father, Oleman, got lost."

_Father… _Thinking of him just brought up even more questions. I shook my head. _There's a time and place for everything and now is neither the time nor the place… _I smiled to myself, remembering Freedan.

"Hey…" said Lilly. "Did you know there's a new star below the constellation of Cygnus?"

"There is?" asked Lance curiously.

"That's right!" Neil turned towards Lilly. "You know a lot!"

"Well, I try…"

Neil nodded and continued, "The red star in Cygnus… Will's interest in ruins… I don't know if its by coincidence or design but something is going to happen."

_If only he knew how true his words were…_

He turned from Lilly and faced me. "The Nazca Plains are just a weeks walk east of here. Would you like to go check it out?"

"Nazca Plains?" _I don't know if it'll lead to a Mystic Statue but… _"Sure, why not?"

So after a weeks worth of traveling we arrived. The Nazca Plains were comprised of many land paintings scattered across the terrain. At length, we came upon the 'Condor' and stopped.

Neil stepped away from us. "It was a long way but we made it. This is the most famous of the land paintings: The Condor." he paused. "No one knows why ancient people drew pictures like these…"

"Maybe they were bored?" said Lance sarcastically. He laughed and Lilly joined him.

_They seem to be getting along fine…_

"In any case," continued Neil. "You should go see it for yourself…"

We split up. Lance with Lilly and I with Kara. Neil had already seen the paintings and Erik had decided to stay by him.

As Kara and I walked alone I had to ask, "Kara, do you know what's up with Lilly? She keeps acting weird…"

She turned to me. "Is that what you call it? Weird?"

"Call what? What are we talking about?" I asked confused.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Men! Isn't it obvious? She's in love with Lance!"

That comment made me stop dead in my tracks. "She's _what?-!_"

"In _love!_ L-O-V-E! Love!" She laughed. "Cant you tell?"

_No, apparently… _I looked to where she and Lance were walking. She _did_ seem to be acting differently around him. "But…when?"

"You know how a doctor will fall for his patient?"

"I guess…"

"I think that's what happened…" she said. "She was the one who looked after Lance while he had amnesia. It was probably then…"

"But…Lilly…and Lance…?"

"What's the matter?" she asked suddenly sounding angry. "You're not…_jealous_, are you?"

"Who? _Me?-!_ No! Of course not!" _If I said anything different she'd yell at me…_

"Good then!" she said happily. "By the way…" she glanced at me. "What did you want to tell me on the raft? You never said…"

"The raft…?" Suddenly my face went red, remembering _exactly_ what I wanted to say. "I, uh… It was nothing!" I walked away quickly. _That was a close one… _I was all out to tell Kara my feelings on the raft but now… "Huh?"

I was brought out of my thoughts as something white caught my attention. As I got closer I saw it for what it was. "_T-The Moon Tribe?-!_"

A sinister looking spirit was floating a little ways in front of me.

"H-Hey… What are-" Suddenly it took off. "Hey, come back!" I ran after it but it was too fast. I bent over to catch my breath as the spirit faded. I could hear its laugh on the wind.

"Ku…ku…ku…"

"Will! What are you doing?-!" yelled Neil. "Get over here!"

I nodded and quickly joined them.

"So, Will…" started Neil. "Do you think you've seen enough?"

I was silent. Truth is, I hadn't. There was no trace of a Mystic Statue and yet I felt like there was something here. The Moon Tribe being here was a dead giveaway that something was up.

"Um…did anyone else notice that the Condor looks like Cygnus?" asked Erik quietly.

"Aaah!" yelled Lilly. "I've got it! Look at where the rocks are on the ground! They're positioned like the stars in Cygnus!"

"Of course!" exclaimed Kara. "Cygnus has nine stars and there are nine stones…" She leaned closer to me so that only I could hear her. "I counted them when we were on the raft together…"

_She's never going to let me go with that, is she? _I thought bitterly. "If I remember correctly…the new star is at the joint of its left foot…"

"Then lets check it out!" declared Neil.

As we went to investigate I heard Lilly say, "A riddle in a constellation… Kind of romantic!"

_I don't know… Lilly and Lance? It just doesn't fit…_

We all gathered around the joint excitedly.

"Will, check it out!" encouraged Lance.

I got on my knees and started digging. "Hey, there's a tile under here!" I took off my flute so I could dig better; it slid and landed on the tile. When my flute touched it, there was a strange rumbling sound.

I stood up fast and put my hands up defensively. "I didn't do it!"

Suddenly the sky turned black and we all looked up.

"Hey!" shouted Erik. "Something _huge_ is coming down!"

As I looked up, I felt a strange sensation. A sort of weightlessness. One minute I was standing with my friends, the next I was standing alone in what could only be described as a Sky Garden.

I looked over the side and nearly had a heart attack. I was floating in the sky over Nazca in a strange garden. I could just make out my friends on the ground below.

I gulped. _Okay… This is new… _I looked around and spotted members of the Moon Tribe. I walked over to one and said, "Hey, what is this place?"

"The Sky Garden is our mode of transportation."

"'Transportation'?" _So are the paintings like an airport for the garden, or something? _I shrugged and listened to the spirit continue.

"There are four crystal balls in four locations… It would be wise to find them in clockwise order…ku ku ku…"

_Great… More riddles… _As I began to walk away, a spirit approached me.

"So we meet again, ku ku ku… You're strong to have made it this far however… Power is never enough. In such times, one must rely on faith."

"Faith?"

"Drop off the cliff at the front and back to find the upside down world… Whether you jump or not, I will not judge. The rest is up to you, ku ku ku…" He disappeared.

"Jump off? Yeah, right! I don't think so!"

So following the spirit's advice, I begun to traverse the dungeon in clockwise order looking for the four crystal balls. Why? I don't know. I've learned to stop asking questions and just go with it. Helps in the long run…

* * *

**End chap! Continuing our quest is the Sky Garden!**

**Also, can I just bring this sentence to your attention:**

'_We all gathered around the joint excitedly.'_

**Now doesn't that sentence just make you snicker and say, "WTF?"**

**Merry Christmas!**

**Till next Chap!**


	12. Sky Garden

**Another day, another chap… Sky Garden here we come!**

* * *

The dungeon started out normal enough, if you can ever call a floating garden normal… There were demons of course. They were pretty easy to kill except for these robotic creatures that fired lasers everywhere.

I slashed at one with my flute just to be rewarded with a rocket punch. "Whoa!" I ducked and the fists missed me by inches. _That was new… _I grasped my flute tighter and attacked.

As soon as I defeated that enemy a giant worm like creature approached. Its moves were easy to read and it was even easier to kill it.

I smiled triumphantly, "Piece of cake!"

I continued along until there was no place left to go. "Okay… Now what?" I looked around and noticed a piece of the railing missing. I walked over to it and peered over the side. I gulped nervously, "That's a long way down…"

Suddenly the spirit's words echoed in my head. _"Drop off the cliff at the front and the back to find the upside-down world…"_

I took a step back. "Oh, no way!" I shook my head. "Jump? You've got to be kidding!" I peered over the edge again. I suddenly felt grateful I didn't have lunch that day. _I suppose…if there's no other way… _"No! I wont do it! I-"

Before I could chicken out, I closed my eyes and jumped. "_Aaaah!_ Huh?" I opened my eyes to discover I wasn't falling towards certain doom. I had landed on the backside of the dungeon!

I sighed in relief, "Alright then… Now that _that's_ over…" I grasped my flute and continued.

The backside of the garden was both similar and unlike the topside. It was similar in its layout but dissimilar in its monsters. It was as if the creatures on this side were on crack! Double in strength and speed.

"Dammit!" I ran as a group of robotic creatures decided to gang bang me. _Man… If only Freedan were-Shit! _I stopped dead as another group of worm like creatures charged. "Ah! Enough of this! _Psycho Dash!_"

That pretty much destroyed them. I paused to catch my breath, forgetting one major thing. I was on the down side which means… What goes down…must come up…

I did my best to avoid the explosive body parts of the worms but there was only so much room. I felt myself falling as I dodged a little too far. I tried to steady myself but it was no use. I was going down.

_Wait… Down? Or up…? _I blinked in confusion as I found myself on the upside of the garden. "Okaay… Freaky but cool…" A treasure chest next to me caught my attention. Inside was, "A crystal! Yes!" _Now just three more! Sweet!_

After a couple minutes of backtracking I continued traversing the dungeon, headed southwest.

It was basically the same as the east except for a little wall hug section which scared the crap out of me. I thought I would fall for sure. Luckily that didn't happen and I continued.

Eventually I came upon a suite of armor holding a sword.

"Well, that's out of place…" I touched it and suddenly wished I hadn't.

The sword came to life and started attacking me!

"Dammit! Why does this always happen to me?" I brought up my flute to block the sword. Our weapons collided and the sword backed off, ready to attack again.

It came at me in a spin attack and I countered with one of my own. It hit the sword with a 'tang' and broke through it easily. The broken sword fell to the ground and moved no more.

"Well that was freaky… Why…" I paused and inspected my surroundings. The statue was standing in front of a sharp incline.

_Sharp incline? On no… _I groaned, remembering Itory Village. "Here we go again…" I moved the statue out of the way and got ready. "One… Two… Three!"

I hit the incline and flew through the air, landing on the other side of the garden. I took a moment to catch my breath and continued once more. After dispatching another sword and armor I entered a small room with a dark portal in it.

"Guess its Freedan's turn…" I entered the portal and was immediately greeted by Gaia.

"Young Will, welcome…"

I nodded and went straight to Freedan's statue. _Hey there._

_Hello, _he greeted.

_Your turn, _I said already losing consciousness.

_I see…_

I couldn't tell for sure but I thought I heard a little sarcasm in that statement. In a few seconds it didn't matter.

**X**

"Freedan," said Gaia, "I trust you already know, but there is a Mystic Statue nearby."

He nodded. "I know. I will find it."

Freedan left the Dark Space and looked around. "The Sky Garden, eh? Its been awhile…"

_Freedan! _greeted Will. _What's up?_

_Heh… We are…_

Will paused. _That was a joke, wasn't it? Oh my gosh! Freedan's' being funny! It's the end of the world!_

He laughed at Will's comment. _You'd best be careful… The end of the world is closer than you think…_

That shut Will up. Pleased that he had won the conversation, Freedan continued until he made it to another drop off.

_Hey, Freedan, you have to-_

Without hesitating, he jumped off the side only to end up on the down side. _You were saying?_

_How did you-_

_You'd be surprised by what I know…_

_Okay then, why don't you tell me?_

Freedan paused. "He's a clever one…" _Nice try, Will… Not yet…_

_Aw… Come on! _he whined. _We've been through, how many scrapes together? Juts tell me Something, man!_

_Later._

_Wait, how long is 'later'? _he asked.

Freedan shut him out and continued. Against his sword the demons on the downside fell easily. He smiled to himself as he came upon a treasure chest containing the second crystal.

"Two down…two to go…" He backtracked and headed down the southwest corridor.

This is where things started to get tricky. There were several barricades blocking access to certain areas and the only way to get rid of them was to activate a switch on the downside.

So after unveiling a secret a passage, Freedan fell to the downside and deactivated a barricade. He followed the same procedure unlocking a dark portal to Dark Space.

_Wow… Hey, Freedan, how do you know this place so well? _asked Will curiously.

_I've been here before, _he said without thinking. Instantly he regretted it.

_Been here before? But how? _He thought a minute. _Freedan, just who Are you?_

_I am a knight in the service of Gaia. _he answered truthfully.

_I know that but-_

_Will… _he said as he entered Dark Space. _Its your turn._

_Oh no you don't! I still have questions!_

_Good bye._

**X**

"Dammit, Freedan!" I yelled to no one in particular. I turned to Gaia. "What is _up_ with that guy? Why's he always like that?"

"You should be grateful… You're the first person he's ever really opened up to-"

"You call that 'opening up'? He barely tells me anything!" I said, still mad.

"Give him time…" she said looking down at me. "Hw will open up soon enough…"

I stood there, trying to regain my composure. "He said…that he'd been to this place before… How is that possible?"

"Freedan has been many places. Many more than you, Young Will."

I frowned. _He said he was in service to Gaia… So if Gaia is eternal then… _"Gaia, how long has Freedan been by your side?"

She smiled proudly. "I see you have not only grown physically but mentally as well!"

_Thanks for the praise and all but- _"Answer my question."

"Freedan has and will always be in my service."

"So…what? He was born into it?" I asked.

"You could say that…"

I sighed realizing she wasn't going to tell me anything. "Fine…but I'll find out eventually…"

"Oh, I have no doubt you will…"

I turned and left. Continuing south I destroyed a statue blocking my path to the down side and jumped. Further down the path was a switch that needed to be pressed but when I pressed it nothing happened.

_Maybe it needs more weight? _As soon as I thought that I saw another armored statue. "Jackpot!"

After defeating the sword, I placed the statue on the switch, deactivating another barricade.

As soon as I arrived in the upside I ran down an incline increasing my momentum so I could run up the other side to the chest containing the third crystal.

Once in hand, I headed for the final passage. The rest of the dungeon was easy…if you don't count the evil fireballs of doom that were invincible. Trust me, I tried killing them but it didn't really work so I decided the best method of battle would be to…

"Retreat!" I ran straight into a Dark Space portal. "Hey, Gaia." I greeted before she could say anything.

"Hello…" she said awkwardly, not used to being second.

I went straight up to Freedan's statue. _Yo, Freedan, how good are your dodging skillz?_

_Fair…why?_

I grinned. _Cuz its Your turn._

**X**

Freedan came to a little confused. "Gaia, what was that about?"

"Who knows? In any case…you should hurry."

"Very well…"

He left the portal only to come up against the invincible fireballs.

_Have fun! _said Will happily.

"Dammit…" Freedan ran as fast as he could. _That was cheap, Will._

_That's what you get for not answering my questions!_

It took a while plus a few missteps but eventually he found the last crystal.

_Alright!_ cheered Will. _Now what?_

_Now…we fight._

_Say what?_

_The crystals open a path to the Master of this Garden, Viper._

_Viper?_ he asked. _So is he like, a boss?_

_That's a good way of putting it. _he said backtracking. _He didn't use to be like this but…_

_But?_

_He was changed by the light of the Comet… _he said darkly.

Freedan arrived back at the beginning and placed the four crystals into the indents on the floor. Once they were placed, a way to the arena opened.

He cleared his mind of all thoughts and grasped his sword. "Its time…"

Freedan ran up the stairs as they fell behind him. As he entered the arena the fight begun.

Viper appeared to be a giant bird with a stone mask. It flew at Freedan as he approached, just grazing him.

Freedan jumped out of the way and got ready to attack. "Dark Friar!" he yelled. The energy blast flew towards its target and hit.

Viper staggered back and flew off, preparing its next assault.

_Freedan! Behind you!_

Freedan dodged just in time to avoid an ice barrage directed at him. He deflected the shards with his sword and went in to attack. He slashed at the wings first, causing major damage, then went in for the kill.

With one final slash he delivered the final blow. Like Castoth, Viper self destructed, leaving no trace of it behind.

When the smoke cleared a small object lay in front of him. Freedan picked it up slowly. "A Mystic Statue…"

_Freedan! _yelled Will. _You did it! You killed the demon and got a Mystic Statue! Awesome!_

Once again Freedan cringed. _Will… I would appreciate it if you stopped yelling in my head… _he said forcefully.

_Oh…sorry… _He paused. _Does something feel…odd to you?_

Freedan stopped and looked around. After Viper was destroyed there was no one left to control the Sky Garden.

_We're Falling! _screamed Will. _Freedan! Do Something!_

He took a moment to asses the situation. _Will…_

_Yes?_

_Good luck._

_Say what?-!_

He kneeled down.

_No! Don't-You-Dare! Freedan!_

_That's what you get for being so cheap. _He laugh and was lost to darkness.

**X**

"Freedan, you backstabbing bastard!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "I'll get you for this!"

"Whoa!" I dropped to one knee to steady myself. _This is Not good… _I slowly crawled to the edge, peered over and suddenly wished I hadn't. I was up in the air with the ground coming up fast. "Dammit, now what?"

Suddenly I heard a strange noise fill the air around me. I looked around, trying to locate the source. From out of no where I heard Neil's' voice…

"_Will!_ You're falling to the ground!" he yelled.

I looked over the side and that's when I spotted him. He was flying in his old airplane! "Neil!" I shouted desperately. "Do something!"

"Grab the plane and we'll fly out of here!" he instructed.

I gulped. _Grab the plane? _That meant I had to jump… I sighed, "Might as well…" I jumped off the platform and hoped that I'd land on the plane.

Neil brought the plane around and flew for me. Unfortunately he judged the distance wrong…

"Shoot! I dropped the contact!" yelled Neil.

"_What?-!_" yelled Kara. "You idiot! Will is doomed for sure!"

I could here Lance's voice as he shouted, "Neil! There's still some time! Try again!"

I _really_ hoped he was right.

Neil brought the plane around again and this time we were ready. He threw out the contact and I caught it, securing myself to the plane.

I kneeled down, trying not to fall off. "That…" I gasped, "was a little too much for me…"

I could hear Kara crying below and Lance saying, "Its alright, Kara… Will is fine, see?"

She leaned out of her seat and looked up to see me. There were tears in her eyes as she said, "Will… You're alright… I thought-"

"Kara, its okay." I said reassuringly. "I'm alright. See?"

She nodded. "Thank goodness…"

Neil snickered from the pilot's seat. "Ooh… I see how it is! Will and Kara, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-"

"Knock it off, Neil!" I yelled slightly embarrassed.

He laugh, "Sure thing, lover boy…"

I glared at him. _Sometimes my cousin can be a little immature…_

"You still interested in ruins?" he asked.

"Um, yeah! Know of any around here?" I asked. With the whole 'sky is falling scene' I totally forgot about receiving the Mystic Statue. _I'm on my way, Father… Wait for me…_

"The lost city of Mu is supposed to be located somewhere in this ocean according to legends," said Lilly.

"The ocean?" asked Erik. "How are we supposed to-"

And that's when it happened. It started as a low rumbling then quickly escalated into a full on shaking of the plane.

"What's going on?-!" screamed Erik terrified.

Neil paused to check his instruments and when he finally said something it wasn't good.

"Oops."

_Oops? Oops is never a good thing for Anyone to say. _"Neil, what's wrong?"

He laughed nervously, "Wrong fuel…"

"What?-!"

"Abandon ship!"

We grabbed the parachutes in the back and got out of the plane in the nick of time. We watched it crash into the ocean as we, ourselves, slowly sank towards the water.

I shook my head. _Neil's a good inventor and all but he always manages to get something wrong… I guess no one's perfect, including Neil…_

We hit the water and everything turned black…**

* * *

These long chaps are gunna kill me… Anyways, two dungeons down, more to go…**

**Up next? The Dreaded Mu! -oh boy…-**

**Till next Chap!**


	13. Seaside Palace

**I really miss my FF8 data…**

* * *

When I came to, I was in a strange place. I got up and shook my head groggily, "Un… Where am I?" I looked around and discovered I was alone. _Where is everybody?_

I walked over to a window and gasped. "What the…?" I was looking out into the ocean! Somehow I must have ended up in this underwater temple after our crash. "Freaky…"

For some reason I blamed Freedan for my predicament.

Having no other choice I decided to check things out. I felt a presence from a right hand room and went to investigate. Inside was Kara…

"Kara?-!" I exclaimed.

She glanced at me blankly as if she wasn't really seeing me. "Will… Where…where is it…?"

"Kara, its me! Will!" I went to grab her but my hand just went right through her. "Kara, what's…" It was then that I noticed. Her whole body seemed transparent and I could see right through her. "Kara…what happened to you?" I wondered sadly.

Realizing there was nothing I could do, I continued to explore. After going down some stairs I paused.

"What was that? It sounded like…" I strained to hear, "A faint voice of some kind…"

"This is the Palace of Vampires…" said a strange voice. "The fountain in this palace produces demons continuously…" The voice echoed off the walls and faded.

I gulped. "Okay… That was…freaky…" _Vampires? The don't exist…do they? _Taking a deep breath, I continued into a left hand room where I found Erik, only he was in the same state as Kara.

"What is this place?" he wondered faintly. "Dark and lonely… Mother, save me…"

I shook my head sadly and continued down. As I entered the stairs, I heard the voice again.

"In the basement the fountain lies. The stone…there… Hurry! Hurry!"

I looked around. "Hello? Is anybody there?-!" I yelled. "Hello?-!" _Weird… Where could that voice be coming from?_

Suddenly I felt a presence behind me. I grasped my flute slowly. _One…two… _I spun around quickly, prepared to kill whatever it was. "Yah!"

"Aaaahh! Will, its me!" yelled a familiar voice.

I stopped my attack just in time. "_Lilly?-!_"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she yelled.

I lowered my flute. "Sorry…" _So Lilly is okay… That's good, but… _"Have you seen-"

"Erik and the others?" she finished. "Yeah… They seem to be unconscious, as if their spirit were lost…"

"We should stick together." I said. "We don't know what will happen."

She nodded. "Alright…"

I could tell she was scared so I said, "Everything's gunna be fine. Don't worry."

"Okay… Um, Will, can I ask a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Can I borrow your pocket?"

I looked at her strangely. "Yeah…sure…" _Why?_

"Thanks." She then turned into a dandelion.

I had almost forgotten she could do that. She floated right over to me and landed in my pocket.

"I appreciate this."

"No problem," I said awkwardly. "Any time…"

"Well, lets go."

As I descended another staircase the strange voice echoed in the halls again.

"The purification stone…in the palace…"

"What was that?-!" asked Lilly freaking.

"Oh, so you heard it too? Good. I thought I was going crazy…"

"Will…what's happening?" she asked. "Ever since we left Itory Village, nothing's made sense. You know what's going on, don't you? Tell me!"

I hesitated. Should I really tell her the truth? _Hi Lilly, the world is about to be destroyed by an evil comet and its up to me and a backstabbing bastard to stop it. By the way, what's for lunch? _Somehow I didn't think that would work. So I opted for the next best thing. "I'm sorry but I really don't know myself…"

"But-"

"All I know is that my father told me to collect the Mystic Statues and that's it." It was only a half lie but it was good enough for Lilly. I could feel her relax in my pocket. _How weird is that?_

"Okay Will… I believe you… But there _is_ something I'd like to know…"

"What's that?"

"I'm protected by the Flower Spirit so I'm fine. But why aren't you transparent too?" she asked.

"Well…" I paused. _Now what? _"I'm…special…" I groaned to myself. _Some excuse…_

"Is it because you can use Dark Power?"

I froze. "H-How do you-"

"The Elder told me. To be honest I didn't really understand much of what he told me. But that's the reason you can change shapes, right?"

_That's right! In Edward's Prison she saw me as Freedan! Wow, I guess Lilly Does know a lot… _"Yeah," I answered. "Its because of my Dark Power."

Our conversation was put on hold as I entered a room with three coffins in it.

"Vampires…"

"Vampires?-!" she exclaimed. "Will, I told you! I don't like dungeon crawlers and vampires are on that list!"

"Its cool…" I said trying to calm her. "They're empty…"

"You sure?"

_I hope… _I walked over to one and tried to open it but it was sealed shut. "Hey, Lilly, do you think you could go through this hole and open it?"

"S-Sure!" she said, trying to hide her fear. "No prob! Leave it to me!" She flew out of my pocket and into the hole in the coffin. There was a soft 'slick' and it opened. "See? Piece of cake!" She landed back in my pocket as I inspected the contents.

The coffin was empty except for a strange stone. _Could this be the Purification Stone the voice was talking about?_

The further down we traveled, the darker the ocean became.

"Whoa… We're down pretty far…" said Lilly.

"Sure are…"

"Will! Look out!"

I dodged just as a grayish mass attacked me. I drew my flute and attacked in one motion killing it instantly.

"Wow, Will! You're good!"

"That's nothing!" I said cockily. "Watch this!" I waited for another blob to attack and countered. "_Psycho Dash!_"

"Amazing… Is that Dark Power?"

"Just a portion of it." I said.

"Cool! Tell me more!"

As I continued through the dungeon, killing demons as I did, I told Lilly about my exploits. It felt great to finally be able to talk to someone about it. And I trusted Lilly. She was a great companion. I had just finished telling her about the Sky Garden when I entered the basement.

"Hey, look! A fountain!" she exclaimed from my pocket. "Could this be the on the voice spoke of?"

"Possibly…" I walked over to it. As I got closer the Purification Stone began to glow. On a whim I tossed it into the fountain.

There was a bright flash then everything turned to normal.

"That's it?" asked Lilly disappointed.

"Lame…"

I turned and left the room and that's when I noticed the difference.

"Will! There's a guy there!" whispered Lilly.

I walked up to him cautiously, "Excuse me…"

He turned to me ecstatic. "Saved! Oh thank you! _Thank you!_" he exclaimed. "I was brought here from Freejia and turned into a demon…"

"What?-! All the demons we saw were human beings?" asked Lilly.

The man looked around. "What was that?"

"er…Nothing!" I quickly left and headed back upstairs. _I get it. The Purification Stone purified the humans so now they're back to normal. I wonder…_

"Hey," whispered Lilly. "Do you think Lance and the others are back to normal, too?"

I smiled, obviously Lilly thought the same. "Lets find out."

I went back to the room where I saw Erik but he wasn't there.

"Maybe he left?" guessed Lilly.

_I hope… _I left the room and approached a scared looking couple. "Hey, have you seen a guy with blonde hair? About this tall?"

The shook their heads.

"No," said the man. "But I saw a woman with blonde hair. She tempted me here and then…"

"A nice guy asked me to come so I did. But then…"

I sighed. _I'm not going to get anything from these two… _I moved on until I met another person. "Excuse me but have you-"

"Did you know a Vampire couple lives here?-!" he shouted. It was easy to tell he had lost it. "The bring people here, ya? Then they turn them into demons! And then…and then they use them for labor!"

"That's nice…"

"_Labor_, man!" he continued. "I used to be in that business till… Then those officials sold us to Vampires, man! _Vamps!_"

"Yeah, that's horrible… I gotta go…" I started walking off.

"Vamps! _Blood suckers, man!_"

I ignored him and continued.

"I don't think he's playing with a full deck." joked Lilly.

"No, ya think?" I said sarcastically. I stopped as another guy approached me. _Please don't be crazy…_

"You're the one who saved us, aren't you?"

"Um…yeah…"

He bowed politely. "Thank you… I 'acquired' this key from the female vampire. I hope it will serve you well…"

"Thanks…" _I guess…_

After a few more flights I arrived right back where I started. There was a small girl standing by a door that I hadn't noticed before.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked curious.

She turned to me. "This door leads to the land of Mu. I saw the vampires headed in this direction so I was going to follow them."

_Did she say Mu?-!_

"I overheard them say something like 'the Mystic Statue can be found there'." She cocked her head. "What's a Mystic Statue? Is it valuable?"

_You have no idea… _I walked over and tried to open the door.

She laughed. "You need a key, stupid!"

I glared and her and inserted to key I had received into the lock. "I have one, stupid!" I opened the door and shut it behind me so she couldn't follow.

"That's not very nice, Will," scolded Lilly.

"Its not that I'm being mean," I said. "If there really is a Mystic Statue, its certain to be guarded by strong demons. I don't want to see anyone get hurt is all…"

I started down the passageway towards Mu. When I arrived Lilly and I gasped.

Mu was huge! It was like an underground cavern but twice as big.

"They say Mu sunk a long time ago…" said Lilly in awe.

"Heh… Then they'll probably welcome us after waking from a sleep of a thousand years…" I grabbed my flute and begun my expedition of Mu.

* * *

**Aw yes…Mu, my favorite dungeon…NOT! I Hate Mu! Hate it! Hate it! Hate it!**

'**calms down' Anyway…With that thought in mind…**

**Till next Chap!**


	14. Mu

**Just for info purposes…I neglected Freedan…Sorry**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mu was unlike any place I had ever seen. Half of it was covered by water, the rest was old and ruinous. As I begun exploring I started to wonder how it had sunk.

_An earthquake maybe? Or perhaps something worse…_

I continued along the only path there was and soon came upon a small shrine. There was nothing inside except for a small alter.

"It says… 'Room of Hope'" I said aloud.

"Maybe something goes here?" guessed Lilly from my pocket.

I shrugged and continued exploring. It wasn't long before I encountered demons. There was a golem guarding a chest which was surrounded on two sides by statues. I gripped my flute tight and attacked.

"Yah!" I struck it right across the abdomen only succeeding in pissing it off.

It fired a flying rock in my direction which I quickly deflected. I steadied myself and continued. "_Psycho Dash!_"

That seemed to do some damage as it staggered back. _Now to finish it! _I ran forward and finished it off with a jump attack.

The golem crumpled and was defeated.

"Wow, Will… That was amazing!" said Lilly.

I paused, not used to having people around when killing demons. "Uh, yeah. Amazing…" _This is awkward… I wonder if this is how Freedan feels when he's in control? _I opened the chest only to find it was empty.

"Well that sucks…" Sighing I continued.

Everything was going fine until-

"Will! Look out!"

I hit the deck as an energy ball flew at me. It missed and quickly dissipated.

"Where did… Whoa!" I took a step back as a Phantom appeared in front of me. He cupped his hands, creating another energy sphere. "Oh no you don't!" I swung with my flute just as he teleported. "Dammit!" I paused, waiting for him to appear again. _There! _"Psycho Dash!"

My attack connected and he quickly teleported away again.

"Will, behind you!" shouted Lilly.

I swung quickly and felt my attack connect. The phantom dissipated and appeared no more.

I took a moment to catch my breath. _Damn… These guys are a lot tougher than any monster I've faced before…_

"Are you okay?" asked Lilly.

"Sure, this is nothing!" I said. "Alright, lets go!"

Eventually I came across another chest but it was empty too.

_What's the deal? Why are they empty? _I grit my teeth as another energy ball came out of nowhere. "Knock it off!" I deflected it and eliminated the phantom quickly.

After destroying some blue drop-like enemies I came across a dead end.

"Well, now what?" I stood there, thinking of what to do. Bad move.

A stone golem crept up behind me and attacked.

"Ah, dammit!" I grasped my left arm from where the demon had hit me. "That hurt, you bastard! _Psycho Dash!_"

Apparently that hurt too as he turned red and started to fire multiple rocks in every direction. I blocked as best I could and finished it off with a jump attack.

Once he died, there was a flash of light which unveiled another statue like the one before.

I massaged my hurt arm with my good. _I don't think its broken but it'll definitely hurt in the morning… Best try not to use it too much…_

"Will, I've been thinking…" started Lilly. "You know all these empty chests?"

"What about them?" I asked not really paying attention.

"They're always in-between the gaze of two statues…"

"So what…?" I paused and looked around. There were two statues yet nothing where their gazes met. _No…it cant be…can it? _

I walked over to where their gazes met and held out my hand. "What?-!"

"Is something there?" asked Lilly curiously.

"Yeah… Hold on…" I felt around and opened it. I reached in and took out a small object. It looked like a mini fountain. "Well what do I do with this?" I wondered.

"Hey, maybe that goes in the alter back in the Room of Hope?"

"Maybe…" I pocketed it. "Lets find out."

So I backtracked and entered the shrine. When I placed it on the alter everything turned black. Small torches lit up leading to the alter.

As I turned around I saw four phantoms facing me. They stared back menacingly.

_An ambush?-!_

Before I could get out my weapon one of the phantoms spoke.

"The sun god… Rama… The ocean holds a power…" As he said that they started disappearing.

"Hey! What 'power'? What are you talking about?" My words echoed off the walls as everything turned back to normal. "What was all _that_ about?" _The ocean holds a power? Could they be meaning a Mystic Statue?_

I left the shrine and discovered something very important.

"Will! The water level's gone down!" informed Lilly. "Now we can explore more of the dungeon!"

I nodded and continued. Now that the water level was lowered I could explore more areas but that also meant more demons. Suddenly I wished Freedan were here…

"Will…"

"Yeah? What is it?" I asked distractedly as I tried to kill a golem.

"You're pretty good at this, aren't you?"

I dodged a rock projectile and countered. "I supposes… Yah!" My attack connected and my opponent staggered back. _Time to end this!_

"Did that guy at the prison teach you?"

I paused which wasn't a good thing to do. The golem attacked making me go on defensive. I rolled away and used a Psycho Dash to finish him off.

"Why do you ask?" I said finally.

"Just curious… I figured since you haven't changed shapes yet, you mustn't be able to do it at will. Meaning, that form is a separate state from your own." she concluded.

_Wow… Lilly's…smart… _"You're right. I cant change at will." _Though Freedan can… _"But to answer your question: No. I've just been learning from experience." _Although I suppose Freedan has been a good influence._

Lilly didn't say anything else so I guessed the conversation was over. After avoiding some nasty looking energy things I saw a portal to Dark Space. I paused.

_How am I going to explain this to Lilly? I skipped the parts about Freedan and Gaia when I explained everything to her… Guess I'll do what I do best: Wing it. _So I entered Dark Space.

"Hello, Young Will." greeted Gaia as usual. "You seem to be hurt. Let me heal you."

Once again there was a bright flash and my wounds healed themselves.

"Thanks…" I looked at my pocket awkwardly, expecting Lilly to pop out at any minute going, "What the _Shiz?-!_"

Gaia laughed. "If you are worried about your friend, don't be. I assure you she is safe."

"But-"

"Her soul is protected by the Flower Spirit. And though she cannot enter this realm, she is still with us. She will have no recollection of this place when you leave." she explained.

"Oh, okay…" I looked around and noticed a statue of me in the room. I turned to Gaia, "New power time?"

She nodded in response.

"Kay then." I touched it, awaiting the slight shock that accompanies a new skill. Once it had passed I looked to Gaia for an explanation.

"The power you have received is known as the Psycho Slider."

"Psycho Slider?"

"It allows you to pass through small gaps in walls and other areas granting you access to many places. The Psycho Slider is also a useful tool in defeating enemies rather quickly…" she added.

_A way to kill enemies faster? _I grinned. "Sounds good to me! Thanks, Gaia!" I waited for her to respond but she said nothing. "Gaia?"

"What is it, Young Will?"

"Um… You _are_ the one giving me this power…aren't you?" I asked slowly.

"Am I?" she said slyly.

"Hey! No fair! You cant answer a question with another! Answer me, are you or are you not?"

"You will have to answer that for yourself."

"Gaia!" I yelled angrily. "Just answer the stupid question!"

"I sense a Mystic Statue nearby. You should hurry." She remained silent saying no more.

I glared at her before turning around and leaving. _Great! Just when I think I've got this whole 'Dark Power, Comet, Gaia thing' down, She has to go and say something like that! If I don't get my power from Gaia, then…where does it come from?_

"Will? What happened?" asked Lilly suddenly from my pocket. "You look upset…"

I stared at my pocket surprised to hear her. "Lilly, what have I been doing this whole time?"

"I'm not sure…" she admitted. "I thought I heard somebody talking but it must have been my imagination… We should get going. This place is starting to give me the creeps…"

"I hear you there…" _I guess Lilly really doesn't know what just happened… At least she's alright._

Since my position was a dead end I turned around and started backtracking again. As I turned a corner I noticed a small crack in the wall.

_Time to use that new power…whoever gave it to me…_

I ran towards the wall as fast as I could. Right before I hit the wall I slid, sliding right through the crack and under the wall. I arrived in another part of the dungeon filled with monsters.

My heart sank. _This just isn't my day…_

Thankfully the only things that gave me problems were a phantom or two and a couple of golems. Once they were out of the picture I found a hidden chest between two statues unveiling another Statue of Hope.

Knowing what to do, I back tracked to the second Room of Hope and placed it on the alter.

The room got dark and the phantoms appeared once more.

"The sun god… Rama…" they repeated more urgently this time. "The ocean holds a power…"

The disappeared and all was normal.

"Okay, still creepy…" commented Lilly. "Who do you think this Rama guy is, anyway?"

"Who knows?" I said, not really caring. I was still upset about the whole Gaia thing.

"Hey, Will… How's your arm?" asked Lilly.

"Its fine, don't worry about it." I said quickly. I didn't want to get into that topic. "Time to go…"

Just as before when I placed the statue in the alter, the water level had decreased. This time all of the water was gone allowing me total access to the dungeon.

I managed to make my way to the bottom most level of Mu and begun exploring. Several more enemies rushed to defeat me but I eliminated each one as they came.

As I turned a corner I spotted two golems guarding a chest.

_Two for one sale, eh? Bring it on! _I used a Psycho Slider attack on one and turned to attack the other.

Both golems turned to face me and fired several rocks in multiple directions.

"Shit!" I quickly deflected them with my flute but I couldn't get them all. I flinched as a rock grazed my cheek causing me to bleed slightly. "Dammit, take this! _Psycho Dash!_"

I timed the attack perfectly, hitting them both at the same time. They crumpled, defeated, allowing me access to the chest.

_Pleas don't be empty… _Inside was a small statue. "What's this?"

"Maybe its Rama? The guy those phantoms were talking about?" guessed Lilly.

"Perhaps…" I pocketed it and continued.

Not long after I found the Rama Statue, I found another just like it. Not knowing what to do I decided to just keep going.

After several phantoms and blue cap demons I found a door. Inside was a small room with two alters, one for each Rama Statue. I placed them on the alters and stepped back.

Suddenly the room began to shift. The small room disappeared to reveal a larger room with what looked like several gravestones…

"This looks like an ancient burial ground for the people of Mu…" said Lilly softly.

"Freaky…"

I walked past the many gravestones and eventually came across a strange looking statue. As with all strange statues, I touched it.

I stepped back quickly as it started to talk.

"I am Rama, King of Mu." it said. "My body passed long ago but my spirit lives on. If you look closely you can probably see wandering spirits…"

I looked around and sure enough, multiple spirits appeared hovering near the gravestone.

Curious, I approached one. "Hey… What happened here?" I asked. "What happened to you guys?"

"Once…a single ray of light came from the sky…"

_A ray of light? Could it be from the comet?_

"People thought it was the light of the spirits…"

A spirit to my right moved closer saying, "One year after that our bodies began to change. One got very thing…one turned to stone…one's body melted like water…"

"Family and friends turned into monsters before our eyes." continued another. "We fought back our tears…"

"That's awful…" said Lilly quietly.

"Some couldn't take it and thought we should flee from here. But Mu is an island. We didn't know if we'd find another place to live… There were no materials for a boat. It would sink if made of stone…"

"Then what did you do?" I asked. Somehow this conversation reminded me of the Moon Tribe. They too were changed by the Comet's light.

"Many saw no point in living if this continued…"

"But others started building an underwater tunnel," said another. "They dug on, not knowing how long it would take…"

Suddenly Rama spoke, "The underwater tunnel dug by man is inside. Please take this Mystic Statue. It has brought nothing but disaster for my tribe. Perhaps you can find a better use for it…"

"Alright!" I cheered as I received my third Mystic Statue. _Three to go!_

Before I could enter the door leading to the underground tunnel Lilly stopped me.

"Will…Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Like what?" I asked.

"Lance and the others?-! And what about those Vampires?" she asked. "What about them?"

I paused. It wasn't like I had forgotten them its just… Yeah, okay, I forgot. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll run into them soon…"

"I hope so…"

I walked forward. _Strange… This is the first dungeon I've been through without Freedan's' help… I guess I've gotten a lot stronger since I started this journey… Heh, this whole dungeon and I made it through with only a scratch… Not bad…_

* * *

**Exeunt stage left, hee hee. I hate Mu but I hate the Vampires even more, and guess what's next?**

**I think is suicide to face the Vamps as Will and always change to Freedan but having Freedan and Lilly interact just didn't sit right with me. That's why he got booted. Sorry Freedan! See ya in the Great Wall! Crap… Lilly's there too…**

**Anywho…**

**Till next Chap!**


	15. Seaside Tunnel

**I'm starting to run out of things to say for the beginning statement…lol**

* * *

As I entered the next room I froze. "Erik?"

Erik was standing in the middle of the room with a huge bomb strapped to his back. He looked at me frightened and screamed, "Will! Help me!"

"Erik! Hold on!" Before I could take another step, _they_ showed up.

Two Vampires walked on either side of Erik. The female had blonde hair while the male had hair of ebony. They glowered at me menacingly.

"I see you've found the Mystic Statue…" he said smoothly. "Well done… I thought there was something special about you when you arrived in the palace. We were right to let you go…"

"What are you saying, Jack?" asked the female. "You were practically drooling when he was here!" She folded her harms peeved. "You're always like that when young ones come! All you ever think about is food!"

"Well, so do you, Silvana!" he yelled back. "Wait… This isn't the time nor the place for an argument. " He turned to me. "First lets get that Mystic Statue!"

They both charged and the battle was on.

I quickly grabbed my flute and got ready for one hell of a battle. I immediately went on the defensive as both Vampires charged me at the same time.

"Will! Will, help!" shouted Erik.

I glanced over at him and noticed the bomb strapped to his back had activated. "Oh shit!" I started running towards him only to come face to face with Jack.

"You should worry more about yourself!" He fired multiple energy beams which fanned out in every direction.

I jumped back to avoid them only to encounter Silvana. She grinned and fired her own energy beams.

"Dammit!" I ran away to gain some distance. _This isn't good… Not only do I have to worry about Them… I have a bomb to deal with! _I took a breath to steady myself. _Okay, I'll go for the Vampires first Then deal with the bomb. Got it? Good. Lets go!_

I ran straight for Jack, my first target.

He grinned, "Accepting your fate? Good… Lets end this!"

_That's what You think! _"Psycho Slider!" I slid right into him causing some damage. I got up and turned around. "Take this!" I administered a jump attack just as he recovered.

Jack staggered back in pain and turned to his wife, "Silvana!"

"Jack!"

They both moved away from me and stood parallel to each other. They held up their hands together forming a giant energy sphere.

My eyes widened, "Not good!"

"And now you die!" The two Vampires released their attack and the giant sphere began to drift throughout the room.

I dodged in the nick of time. As it passed, I could feel the demonic energy seeping from it; I gulped. _Best not get hit by that thing…_

Before I could recover, Silvana teleported near me. "Hellooo…" She grinned, showing her fangs. "Good bye…" She picked me up by my collar and easily flung me across the room.

I hit the wall and slid to the floor coughing blood. "D-Damn…"

Jack paused. "Ah! The sweet scent of blood…" He faced me hungrily. "Lets end this quickly, shall we?" He said walking closer. "I would hate to waste so much blood."

"You and me both, pal… _Psycho Dash!_" I landed a direct hit and continued with my assault. I hit him with my flute on his side, then his abdomen, and finally landing a kick to his legs causing him to crumple.

I grasped my flute with both hands, "Now to end this…" I raised my flute up and quickly brought it down, impaling him straight through the heart.

He glared up at me, "This…is not…the end!"

I jumped back quickly as he self destructed. I turned to Silvana next.

She simply laughed. "I'm glad he's gone. Its your turn next!" She teleported next to me but I was ready.

I swung with my flute which she dodged easily.

"You'll have to do better than that!" she teased, creating a barrier around herself.

_Damn… She's a lot tougher than Jack… _I glanced at Erik. _Other than being scared to death, he looks fine. How much longer do I have before it explodes? _I looked back to Silvana only she wasn't there! "Where-"

"Behind you…"

I turned quickly only to get kicked in the gut. I was sent flying where I hit yet another wall. Before I could recover, Silvana ran up and pinned me against it.

"Hmm… You're not bad to look at…" she said glancing at me. "Perhaps… I should make you my new mate?"

I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath. _This isn't good… At this rate I'll… _I looked at Erik. He stared back frightened. I glanced at my pocket where Lilly resided. They were counting on me to protect them. To destroy the demons and make everything better again. That was my job. And I couldn't let them down.

Silvana looked at me slyly. "What do you say? It'll only hurt for a second…"

"I think I'll pass…" I took my flute and pierced her right through her heart. "You see, I'm not like you… I _have_ a reason to live."

She glared at me with hatred in her eyes. "You…bastard! I'll get you for this!"

"Sure you will… Good luck trying in Hell." I retracted my weapon and watched as she crumpled to the floor. Five seconds later she self destructed, leaving no trace of herself behind.

"_Will!_" yelled Erik frantically.

"Erik!" I quickly ran to him. "How do I turn it off?"

"I don't know!" he cried. "Get this thing off me! Help!"

"Calm down." I checked the bomb and found two wires: One red and one blue. My heart sank. _Okay… Blue or Red? Um…_

"Will!"

"Alright! Shut up!" I looked between them nervously. "Blue? Red? Blue… Red… Um…"

"Hurry!"

I closed my eyes and cut the blue one. There was a soft 'click' and the bomb was diffused. I sighed in relief. _That was close…_

"Saved…" Erik fell to his knees in relief. "Oh, Will… If you hadn't of showed up I-"

"Save it." I said, helping him up. "Lets just get out of here…"

"But, Will… Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. "It looked like you got beat up something awful…"

"I'm fine, don't worry." Truth was, I actually did feel fine. And that scared me. Erik was right. I did get beat up pretty bad during the fight but…I didn't have any injuries… _Why?_

Suddenly Lilly spoke from my pocket. "I'm sorry, Will… There was nothing I could do. My legs gave out from fear." She sighed sadly. "I thought I was strong but in a crisis…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Lilly," I said. "There was nothing you could have done. Its not your fault."

"Thanks, Will…"

I nodded and was about to continue when I heard a familiar voice.

"Will! Are you okay?"

I turned around and spotted Neil and the others. My face lit up. "Guys!"

"Will!" greeted Lance. He looked around. "Where's Lilly? Has something happened?"

Before I could say anything, Lilly emerged from my pocket. She floated over to Lance and transformed back into a girl.

"I'm here! Sorry I worried you…" She looked at me. "Will was protecting me so I was okay."

Kara turned to me, a strange expression on her face.

_What's Her problem?_

Neil laughed. "Heh, guess my little cousin's really grown up." He looked me over. "You okay? You don't look so hot…"

"Yeah, I'm fine… What about you guys? What happened?" I asked.

"Who cares!" said Kara angrily. "It doesn't matter what happened. We should focus on getting out of here!"

"Hmph, for once I agree." Lilly turned to the group. "We heard some things from someone called Rama…"

So Lilly and I told everyone about Mu and meeting Rama. We also told them of the underground tunnel they had built shortly before their demise.

Kara sniffed sadly. "Its such a sad tale… Separated from those with whom they loved…others remaining underwater…"

"If we go through this tunnel…" said Neil thinking, "maybe we can reach the mainland…"

"Sound like a good idea…" Lance turned to all of us. "Lets get out of here…"

We all nodded and entered the Seaside Tunnel, leaving the ruinous Mu behind…

**X**

The journey through the tunnel was a long one. Five days had already passed since entering and still there was no sign of an exit. The same scenery kept going on and on…and it was hard to keep track of time…

A small river wound its way through the tunnel and it was by this river that we had decided to stop for the time being.

"Alright," said Neil, addressing the group. "Lets stop here."

Erik collapsed on the dirt floor. "I'm so tired! I must have walked 500 miles today!"

Lance joined him saying, "This is crazy! Having to walk so far! I mean, how much more of this do we have to go through?"

"Enough!" yelled Kara tiredly. "All you've done is complain ever since we started this journey!"

"Like you're one to talk!" said Lilly, defending Lance. "Besides, we're _all_ tired. Lets just take a break for now and eat. I'm hungry…"

"You're always hungry!" she yelled back.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "I'm outta here…" I mumbled to myself and walked off. _Kara is such a pain… I thought she had changed but I guess not… _I paused as I came across some wild mushrooms.

These mushrooms grew all over the tunnel and were the only food supply… I sighed. _Yesterday, baked mushrooms… The day before, boiled mushroom… Before that, raw… _I shuddered, picking some for dinner. Sure, they're awfully tasteless but we cant ask for too much…

As I brought them back to camp Kara grimaced.

"Oh no… Will found more mushrooms…" she pouted. "I want a steak! And a salad! My poor skin has turned dry from eating all this weird food…"

"So starve." said Lance rudely. "Me? I'm eating!"

Kara turned to me, expecting me to back her up. I simply shrugged and forced down a mushroom.

In this way, another day passed slowly. A couple more days passed in the same manner. Walking for hours on end…eating more weird food, to Kara's disgust, not knowing when it would end…

I stood by the small river in the tunnel, unable to sleep. I kept thinking about my journey and if I would ever see my father again. On top of that, there were still a lot of things I didn't understand. I sighed.

"Cant sleep?" asked Lilly as she joined me.

"Nah, I'm looking for more mushrooms." I lied. Seeing the expression on her face I said, "Just kidding…"

She laughed with me as she said, "Will, you've changed a lot during this journey. Somehow, you've grown up."

"Like you're one to talk." I said back.

She blushed slightly, why I don't know. "Y-Yeah, but that's different. You've actually changed, you know?"

I stared ahead, understanding what she meant. "I don't understand it myself but… I can use some strange power, and my body is changing to that of a warrior. To be honest, its scaring me to death. I'm still me, aren't I?"

"Of course," she said. "Everyone changes. Its just a matter of accepting that change that's difficult."

I nodded. "The change seems to have started when my father and I went to the Tower of Babel… I thought I had started to understand that power but now…" _After what Gaia said… _I shook my head. Changing the subject I asked, "Why did you join this dangerous expedition? Especially since you know the truth?"

"At first it was just for fun. But now…" she glanced at me slyly, "It's a secret, heh heh…"

_Not a good one… _I thought, already knowing what that secret was.

She sighed, "We'll probably walk all day again tomorrow… We should get some sleep…"

I nodded. "You're right… Lilly...?"

"What is it?"

"Thanks."

She blinked, "For what?"

"For just being there and not telling anyone my secret."

"Sure, Will." She winked. "You can count on me!"

I smiled, "Alright then."

Afterwards we turned in for the night. The next day continued like those before it.

I sighed. _Two weeks in and still no end in sight… _I looked over our party. If we didn't get to the surface soon I didn't think we'd make it.

Suddenly Kara spoke, breaking the monotonous silence. "Last night, when I was sleeping, I heard an odd sound from above… It was really creepy…"

Lance sighed annoyed. "Who cares? It was probably just your imagination. Get over it."

Kara pouted. "It was _not!_ I heard something!"

"We're miles under the ocean! What could it have been? Shamoo?"

Suddenly there was a loud noise followed by a series of crashes and bangs. Everyone ducked down, afraid the tunnel would collapse.

"I'm sorry, Shamoo!" cried Lance.

"Its not Shamoo!" yelled Kara. "That's it! That's the noise I heard!"

"What the hell _is_ it?" exclaimed Lance.

"Maybe its Riverson?-!" cried Erik. "We've got to run!"

"Run? Run where?-!"

As the shaking stopped Neil stood up. "Quiet everyone! This vibrating sound… Its Morse Code…"

"Morse Code?" I asked, regaining my composure. "You mean that signal thing that ships use to communicate with each other?"

"Yes." He paused. "Hold on… Lets see if I can decode it…"

Everyone was silent as Neil listened to the strange clicking noise echoing throughout the tunnel. He nodded and recited:

"This is Seth…"

"Seth?" exclaimed Lance. "But-"

"Sh! Quiet!"

Neil continued saying, "I was swallowed by Riverson… When I came to, the form of my body had changed to that of Riverson's. This Riverson is a creature that lives in the ocean. I don't know if its human or not…" Neil paused to listen and continued, "He said that evolution is being affected by the light of a comet."

Me heart leapt. _Uh oh… Does Seth know? And will he tell them? _I looked at Lilly. _Its bad enough that One person knows about this…_

"I wanted to continue the journey with you but not in this body…" continued Neil. "You must figure out this riddle of the comet and the ruins…" He paused as the noise faded. "I don't hear anything now…"

"Seth…" sobbed Kara. "I'm scared…"

"What do you think he meant, 'his body changed'?" asked Erik. "He doesn't have a human form?"

"Erik, calm down," said Neil. "Whether he has a human form or not it doesn't matter. Only humans think that human shape is the best one."

"But-"

"What d'you think all that about the comet means?" asked Lance curiously. "And the ruins…where does that fit in?"

I remained silent. I glanced at Lilly, half expecting her to say something but she said nothing.

"Will, what do _you_ think?" he asked me.

"I think… We should get out of here…" I said, avoiding the question. I started to walk off and was relieved when the others followed.

_Phew… One bullet dodged but how long can I hide the truth?_**

* * *

The tunnel comes to and end and we find ourselves in the Angel Village! Next on Illusion of Gaia! Stay Tuned!**

**Till next Chap!**


	16. Angel Village

**Previously, on Illusion of Gaia… Will and company traversed thru the Seaside tunnel where they came across an unexpected visitor. After the encounter they continued through the tunnel, not knowing where it would lead…**

'**lol I'm such a dork…^.^'**

* * *

The rest of the journey through the tunnel was quiet and uneventful. I was starting to wonder if there even _was_ an end to this tunnel. Just when I was about to lose hope, I saw a light ahead…

"Guys! I see a light! It's the exit!"

"The exit?-!"

"Thank god!"

We all hurried forward, eager to be rid of that dark tunnel.

I blinked in the sunlight, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness. When I could see again, I noticed we were in a grassy meadow. Strange holes, ringed by rocks, littered the ground.

Neil breathed in the fresh air. "Finally! Daylight at last! We must have walked in that tunnel for a month… Or so it feels like."

"Who knows?" I said. "Where are we anyway?"

Lance walked over to a signpost and read, "Angel Village? Huh? Travelers please use this room?" He looked at us confused, "Angels?"

"Angels live in a place like this?" asked Neil looking around.

"Regardless, we should use the room to rest." said Lilly. "Will, lets go."

"Sure."

Kara took a step forward, "What?-! Will! Come with me!"

Lilly and I exchanged glances. _What's Her problem?_

Lilly grinned, knowing _exactly_ what her problem was.

Kara glared at her slightly embarrassed. "What are you grinning about?-!"

"Oh, nothing…" she said.

"Hmph! Fine then! I'll just explore this place on my own!" She turned on her heel and stormed off.

I sighed, "There she goes again…"

"Ignore her," said Lilly. "She's just jealous."

"Of what?" I asked.

Lilly glared at me. "Really? I knew you were slow but jeez." She climbed down the ladder to join the others.

"I'm not slow I'm just…Conservative!" I yelled as I followed her down. I was all set to continue this conversation/argument but Lance pulled me aside, away from everyone else. "Lance, what is it?"

He looked around nervously, making sure no one was listening. "Will… I want to talk to you about something…"

"Um…sure. What is it?" _Why is he acting weird? Something's up._

"Its…kind of hard to talk about but…"

"But?"

"I seem to have fallen in love with Lilly." he blurted.

I stared at him in half shock. "What?"

"I love Lilly." he repeated more passionately this time. "I dream only of her… I want her to notice me." Seeing the expression on my face he said, "This isn't like me, is it?"

I took a moment to regain my composure and gather my thoughts. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that but…you _have_ spent a lot of time together. It seems only natural." _Besides, this relationship isn't one sided according to Kara…_

"Soon it'll be Lilly's birthday…" he said glancing at her. "I want to give her a present and tell her how I feel. What should I get her?"

I had to stop myself from groaning. He was so not talking to the right guy. Neil would be better at this than me. _Then again… _"Um… I don't know… How 'bout a necklace or something? Girls like that, right? Yeah! And every time she sees it, she'll think of you." _Maybe I'm not so bad at this after all?_

He smiled, "Of course! That's perfect! I'll find some stones and make a necklace. Thanks for the advice."

"Any time."

He leaned in closer, "And speaking of advice… You better hurry up, man."

"Excuse me?"

"Kara." he said, like it was obvious. "You're all she can talk about, man."

"Really?"

"Gets on my nerves actually," he admitted. "But if you don't do something she's gunna lose interest, get it?"

"But…"

He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Will, you're me bud, got that? And I'm just looking out for ya. You two have got something, some weird connection, call it chemistry. And you shouldn't pass it up."

I stared at him. _Is he actually giving me love advice? _"Lance, I appreciate the pep talk and all but Kara and I-"

"Yes?" he asked. "What exactly _is_ your relationship with Kara? Cuz according to _her_, you two got pretty close on that raft."

I felt my face turn red. "She told you about-"

"Oh yeah!" he grinned.

"That was private!" I yelled. Everyone in the room looked at me curiously. I cringed and turned back to Lance. "What else did she tell you?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Fine, I will! Hey, Kara-" I stopped, remembering she had left earlier. _Dammit!_

Lance laughed, "Better catch her before she changes her mind. Who know? Maybe she'll fall for Erik?"

"Oh, shut up, Lance!" I pushed him out of the way and headed for the Angel Tribe's main village looking for Kara.

Once underground I took a moment to inspect my surroundings. This place reminded me of that accursed tunnel. But for some reason visions of Mu popped in my head. _Lets not think of That place again…_

It wasn't long before I came upon the villagers. They all had long golden hair and pale skin. I wouldn't call them angels but there was something unnatural about them.

"Excuse me but have you seen a girl about this high? Her name is Kara and-"

"I'm sorry, I can not help you." said a rather tall female.

"Well maybe if you looked-"

She shook her head. "I can not. If one such as I were to be exposed by the sunlight I would surely perish."

"But I'm not asking you to-"

"Good day." Just like that she walked off.

_Well that was rude…_

I continued to explore the village and eventually came upon a large dance hall. Several couples were dancing to string music played by a female orchestra. Lining the alls of the room were several paintings, each one of a beautiful woman. As I stared at these paintings, a man walked up to me.

"I used to dance with that woman in the painting." he said sadly.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"She went to get her portrait painted by the famous Ishtar. Though the portrait came out beautifully…its model was lost…"

_Lost? I guess she died… _"I'm sorry…"

"It is fine… The painter Ishtar is famed for his excellent craftsmanship. Indeed, he painted her exact likeness." He paused, staring at the portrait. "Its as if she were right here with me…"

I could sense this guy was going on an emo trip so to lighten the mood I said, "So, this Ishtar guy…he that good?"

"The best," he said. "People who wish to be painted flock here yearly. Why…just today a human girl named Kara arrived."

"Kara?-!"

"Ishtar praised her beauty and took her to his studio."

"His studio… Well, where is that?" I asked.

"Down the passageway on the right."

"Thanks." I gave a slight wave bye and left, headed for Ishtar's studio. I don't know why but something about that guy's story sounded off. _I just hope Kara is alright…_

Soon I came upon a door that was locked and guarded. When I asked if I could pass she simply stared at me.

"Do you know of Ishtar?"

"Of course! That's why I want to see him!"

"Very well, but listen carefully. The path to Ishtar's studio is a dangerous one. Remember to go with the wind. Down the dark street where the wind blows is where you'll hear the waterfall. When you find the source of the sound, that is when you'll find his studio. Understood?"

"Wind, street, waterfall, got it." I nodded, not really caring. "Can I go now?"

She nodded and opened the door.

"Thanks."

When she closed the door I noticed something she forgot to mention: Demons.

"Heh, bring it on!" I grabbed my flute and begun on the path to Ishtar's Studio.

* * *

**Next time on Illusion of Gaia…In search of Kara, Will finds himself pitted against several demons. Can Will defeat the demons and reach Kara before its too late? Find out on the next exciting episode of Illusion of Gaia!**

**Hee hee… How do you like my DBZ openings/endings? Yeah, I know… I'm a dork… Anywho… Sorry its short but like I said before, I gotta pace myself...**

**Till next Chap!**


	17. Ishtar's Studio

**Today, on Illusion of Gaia… Our Hero continues his journey to Ishtar's studio. But what he finds there when he arrives-  
****Okay, I'll stop with the DBZ-ness…lol**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The journey to Ishtar's Studio really wasn't all that dangerous. Sure there was a tricky demon here and there but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I found the room of darkness the woman was talking about and afterward hit a dead end.

I scratched my head confused. "Kay… Now what?"

I inspected the walls and sure enough, I felt a breeze coming through. With one good push I found a hidden pass and continued on my way.

I could tell I was getting closer as I heard a waterfall in the distance. Remembering what the woman had said, I searched for the place where the sound was the loudest.

I shook my head as I found it. "Man, Kara is so going to get it for making me go through all this crap…"

I found the secret passage and entered the next room where three waterfalls gushed into an underground lake.

"Alright… Ishtar's Studio should be around here somewhere…" I entered the first room I came across and gasped, "Kara?-!"

Hanging on the wall was a perfect portrait of Kara. I went up to inspect it and got a creepy feeling.

_Hold up… This picture is a little Too perfect… _"Kara…?" I took a step back as the picture of Kara moved slightly. She looked at me scared. "Kara! What happened-? Say something!"

But the picture moved no more.

I pounded the wall. "Dammit! That model wasn't lost! Ishtar turned her into the picture!" I ran out of the room angrily. "Ishtar!" I yelled. "Where the hell are you?-!"

When I finally found him he was sitting down, starting on another portrait.

"Hey! You Ishtar?-!" I asked angrily. "Turn Kara back to normal!"

He simply glanced at me and continued his portrait. "Hmph… You must care about her deeply to be _this_ upset… Very well then…" He paused. "Go into the next room."

"Huh?"

"If you solve all the riddles, I'll give back the girl."

"What? No! You give her back right now or-"

"Or what?" he chuckled. "Do as I say or she'll stay that way forever. You wouldn't want that now, would you?"

I glared at him. "Fine… But if she doesn't get better you're next, old man!" I entered the room he specified and waited. _Dammit! First she runs off, then I have to go track her down. And now I have to put up with this!_

Ishtar's voice resounded through the room. "Learn well the condition of that room," he said. "When you've learned it, proceed to the next room…"

"Learn well, huh?" _So it's a memory game… _"So be it!" I checked the room out. Nothing special: A chair, some jars… So I entered the next room. It was exactly the same except…

"Show how the room's different." said Ishtar's voice.

I scoffed. _This is too easy… _"The jars are a different color…"

"Correct. Now proceed."

"There's more?" I groaned and continued. The next room had two portraits. _Probably more 'subjects' _I thought angrily. There were also two jars in a corner.

Knowing what to do, I went to the next room which was an exact replica except for- "The jars have changed color again." I said.

"Hmm… You're very good at this…" he remarked. "Good then. You may proceed."

I sighed and continued, "How many more are there?" I wondered.

The next room had a treasure chest. Upon further investigation, I found a herb inside. Other than that, the room was plain.

In the duplicate room Ishtar asked, "What's different?"

"Um…" I looked around but it looked exactly the same. As a last resort I checked the chest. "The chest!" I exclaimed as I found a red jewel and not a herb. "The contents have changed."

"You are correct. And now for the final riddle…"

"'Bout time…"

The next room had nothing but three statues in it. Continuing into the duplicate room I noticed nothing different besides a slight breeze.

"Show how the room is different from before."

"Well…" I paused. _Nothing's changed except… _"Me! I'm what's different!"

"Right answer!" he said with a slight laugh. "The wind blew your hair around! You have passed my tests… You may return…"

"Finally!" I turned around and headed back to Ishtar's Studio but when I arrived Ishtar was gone. "Hey, where'd you- Whoa!"

On the easel that Ishtar was painting on was a portrait of himself!

"Dude…what did you do?" I asked.

The man in the portrait sighed. "I've been waiting for you. The object you seek lies in that chest over there. Sprinkle the magic powder on the portrait and give it a kiss."

"A kiss?"

"If you care about her deeply, something will happen. You'll see…" he smiled.

"Yeah, but what about you?" I asked.

His smiled faded as he said, "I have painted a self portrait. Soon I will become the painting… As I spoke with the girl, Kara, I realized what a horrible thing I have been doing… All I wanted was to preserve the beauty of the world but I was just taking away lives. Trapping myself, like I did so many, is a just punishment." Before he became one with the painting I heard him say, "You must take care of her…"

I nodded to the now still painting. "Of course."

In the chest was the magic dust Ishtar spoke of. I took it to Kara's picture and paused.

"Here goes…" I sprinkled some on the portrait. _Now I just have to… _I could feel my face turning red. _No! No time for this nonsense! _I stared at the portrait determined. "Kara, please return to your normal form…" I leaned in and gently kissed the picture of Kara.

There was a bright flash and Kara's picture disappeared.

"Kara?-!" I ran to the wall startled. "Kara! Where'd you go?-! _Kara!_ Kara, I-" I stopped as I heard a small sob behind me. I turned around to find her crying in the doorway.

"Kara…" Relief spread over me as I realized she was okay.

"Will… I-I…I'm so sorry!"

My relief was quickly replaced by anger as I remembered what she had done. "Kara! You make me so mad sometimes, you know that? You're not the only person on this journey!" I yelled at her.

That just made her cry even harder. She ran over to me and held me tightly. "Waaaaahhh! I…I don't know what I'm doing anymore… I'm not myself… W-When I was in the castle I could get anything I wanted but now…"

"Its okay…" I said, trying to comfort her. "Relax… People change, its natural. Heh, take _me_ for example. I'm not the same guy I used to be."

She looked up at me. "You're right… You _have_ changed, Will, but…it seems right. Like you're supposed to be this way."

_What does she mean by that?_

"But me…" she looked away. "I'm scared… I don't want to change. I like who I am!"

"Kara, what are you talking about?" I asked confused.

She shook her head, "Its nothing…"

"Its not 'nothing' Kara, if there's something troubling you, you can tell me." I could tell that something was upsetting her. It troubled me that I was only now noticing. Kara had been through a lot too and I never stopped to bother to ask if she was okay. "Kara… I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"For being a jerk, for one." I said.

That seemed to make her smile. "No… I'm the one who should be apologizing. I've been so selfish… I never realized what was important to me till today." She paused. "When I'm far away, I feel close to it. When I'm close, I feel far away…" Kara gave me a small smile. "Its alright if you don't understand… I will never forget what happened today."

"I don't think I will either." I agreed. "Come on, the others are waiting." I gave her a smile and held out my hand.

She took it smiling and said, "Yes, lets…"

We journeyed back to the others in silence. I had neglected Kara's feelings for so long that now, being with her was like a breath of fresh air. She was sweet and kind… She still had a little selfish streak but she was determined to stop that. It made me glad that we could have this moment together, no matter how short it was.

When we arrived back at the visitor's quarters we were immediately greeted by everyone.

"Kara! I was worried!" said Neil relieved.

"Why are you always running off alone?-!" yelled Lilly. "Didn't you think about the rest of us? Or are you so high and mighty that-"

Kara bowed her head, "I'm sorry, everyone. I'll never do it again, I promise."

"Are you apologizing?-!" she asked stunned.

I repressed a glare. "Kara and I had a little talk. She understands what she did was wrong. You should be more thoughtful and forgive her."

"Will…"

"In any case…" interrupted Neil. "We should get going. The Floating City is about three days south of here. It'd be a nice place to stop on our trip."

"Good idea," said Erik. "We should get out of this place…its creepy…"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Erik, to you, _everything_ is creepy…"

As we were preparing to leave, Lance walked up to me.

"So…you two had a little 'talk', eh? Sounds interesting…" He grinned.

"It was, actually." I answered truthfully. "I never gave much thought on how Kara feels… I should have known that something was wrong…"

His grinned faded. "Wrong? What's wrong with Kara?"

"I don't know…" _Something's happening to her that obviously scares her but what could it be?_

"She's not pregnant, is she?"

"No, she's-" I glared at him. "No! She is _not!_" I shoved him but he simply laughed.

"Whatever you say, Will… Oh! Am I invited to your bachelor party?"

I rolled my eyes but had to laugh. _Only Lance… _I took one last glance at the Angel Village and hoped I'd never see it again.

"Floating City, here we come!"

* * *

**Now that That's over… Watermia here we come! I always felt that the Studio part was easy. Probably cuz Ive done it so many times...lol**

**Till next Chap!**


	18. Watermia

**Taking a break from our usual long chaps of doom -aiyee my hands!- I give you… A short chap.**

**Enjoy!****

* * *

**We went to the Water City, Watermia. It was a beautiful town with homes built on rafts right on the water's surface. When we asked for a place to stay a man named Luke offered to lend us his home.

"I'm going on a long fishing trip," he had said. "I wont be needing it… Just don't burn the place down!"

It had been three days since then.

"Hey, where's Lance?" I asked as I came in. I had been exploring the town asking around for any rumors on ruins. I may have been in a beautiful tropical city but that doesn't mean I can forget about my quest.

"I heard he saw someone he knew in town," answered Lilly, fanning herself. "Guess he went to look for him. Man, its hot…"

"Well he better be careful," said Kara, fanning herself also. "I've heard this terrible rumor that people here play games with human lives… Freejia was the same way except it wasn't hot in Freejia…"

I smiled. Ever since our talk in the Angel Village, Kara and I had started talking more often. I was beginning to like her more and more. "Well, I'll go look for him…"

Before I could leave, Erik walked up to me and whispered, "Hey, Will… You like Kara, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

He snickered. "Go outside and look behind the house. You'll find something interesting…" He glanced at Kara and laughed.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Nothing, Kara. Erik's just being stupid." _As usual._

Nonetheless, when I left I searched behind the house. What I found was Kara's diary. I looked around nervously.

_Should I? It'd be wrong… After all, we must respect the privacy of others an- Oh hell! Just read it! _I opened to a page and begun reading:

_X Month X Day_

_After a long journey we arrived in the Floating City, Watermia. I was so tired after the journey… Blisters on my feet, but I said nothing. I've changed since coming on this journey. It scares me but I know that when Im with Him I'll be alright. Im pleased that I can be so concerned with someone else. A villager told me that, 'if you wish over a lotus leaf on a full moon, your love will notice you.' A good saying… Maybe I'll try it…_

I closed the book and put it back.

Kara's been putting up with so much, then again, we all have. None so more than me. I looked around. "Now where is Lance?" _Today is Lilly's surprise birthday!_

After asking around some, I was directed to a little house. Once inside I could feel the tension in the room. Lance was staring at an old man in a rocking chair. I could tell something was up.

"Lance…you okay?" I asked, not sure what was going on.

He didn't even look at me as he said, "Will, do you recognize this person? He's my father."

_Huh? _I took another look at the man. Sure he looked a little disheveled but it was Lance's dad. _If his dad is alright then… My father must be- _"Hey, old man, where's my-"

"Its no use," said Lance. "He seems to have lost his memory…" He looked at his father sadly. "I finally found my lost father but…" He trailed off.

I remained silent. _Poor Lance… I hate to see him like this. _I headed for the door. "I'll just go…"

"Wait." He turned to me. "I'll go too."

"But Lance-"

"I'm preparing Lilly's birthday party. I want to finish it before dark."

"Okay."

We left the house and returned to our room. I didn't say anything. Lance needed this party to get his mind off his father. I sighed. _I wonder how it feels? To be with the one you've longed to be with for so long only to have them not know who you are…?_

With all the preparations for the party, my mind wandered to other things. Did we have enough candles? Are the decorations set? Where's the cake? All the planning took most of the day.

Kara had taken Lilly out for some 'girl time' so we had the whole house to ourselves. When night arrived, they came back, just as planned.

The house was dark as Lilly and Kara entered.

"Gah! Who turned out the lights?" asked Lilly.

"I don't know," said Kara stifling a giggle. "Let me get that for you…" She turned on the lights revealing the decorations and cake.

"Happy Birthday, Lilly!" we cheered.

She stared at us shocked. "You guys! What did-How-Why-"

"We knew your birthday was coming up so we all thought, 'Lets have Lilly's birthday while we're all together!" explained Erik.

"But you guys…"

"I made the cake!" said Neil proudly. "Darn thing was harder to make than an airplane!"

She laughed. "Thanks, guys… Really, this is great… I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!"

After our little introduction, we all gathered around the cake to feast. Thankfully, Neil's cake, unlike his airplane, turned out great. We had just finished off the rest when Lance stood up.

"Um… Lilly, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." she said happily. "What is it?"

"er…Outside…"

"Oh…" She stood up too. "Guess I'll be back in a second?"

They both left through the font door. Erik quickly ran to the window.

"Ooohhh! I wonder what it is?"

Kara dragged him away. "Oh no you don't! Leave them be. Whatever they're doing its private. Right, Will?"

"Uh, right…" I said, even though I, too, was curious about what was going on.

"Alright kids, "said Neil. "Lets clean up, shall we?"

So while Lance and Lilly did…whatever, we cleaned up the house.

**X**

Lance and Lilly left the house and took a small walk. At length Lance stopped to face her.

"What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong? You're not yourself."

He looked down, "You're right. I'm not myself… Lilly, this is your birthday present…" He drew a bouquet of flowers from his jacket. "I hope you like it…"

She took them gladly, "Oh, Lance! I love it! Rosebuds…" She smelled them and smiled. "How did you know? They're my favorite…"

He blushed, "I-I'm glad you like it…"

"Lance, its wonderful."

"I have another present for you…"

"Sure, where is it?" she asked, looking around.

"Its something I have to tell you… Lilly, I…"

"You what ?" she asked curiously.

He looked her straight in the eyes and said, "Lilly, I love you…"

There was silence as neither said anything. Lilly had a blank expression on her face while Lance was bright red.

Trying to mend the conversation he said, "You don't have to answer right away… But, I wanted to tell you how I feel…"

Suddenly Lilly turned into a dandelion and flew off. Lance ran after her.

"Lilly! Wait! I-" He slowed down and finally stopped. He looked at his reflection in the water sadly. "Lilly…"

**X**

Later that night, Lilly didn't come back to her room. We assumed her and Lance were out having a 'couples only party' since neither of them bothered to come home that evening.

I found out the truth in the morning. Lance must have snuck in when we were sleeping and left the note. I had found it in my luggage. It read:

_"I'm going to the Great Wall of China. I didn't want to bother anyone but just in case something happens… The people say I can find a cure for my father there. It's a long journey but I'd do anything if it'd help my father. Please don't worry about me…"_

_P.S- Lilly has left me._

When I first read the letter I was mad. That idiot got dumped so he was going to go throw his life away over some stupid rumor! Then I remembered the state his father was in. After that, it didn't seem like such a stupid idea. I'd do the same for my father.

I didn't bother telling anyone about the letter. I simply said I was going out to search for Lance and left. Kara wanted to come but I told her no.

The Great Wall of China sounded like a ruin. And ruins equals Mystic Statue. Mystic Statue equals Demons. And demons and princesses don't exactly go together where I come from…**

* * *

Okay, so maybe its not That short… Guess who shows up next? Oh yeah! Its Freedan time!**

**Till next Chap!**


	19. Great Wall of China

**Been awhile since I've done this… Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you… The Great Wall of China!**

* * *

The journey wasn't all that difficult. I followed Lance's trail to the Great Wall. A corridor stretched to the distant horizon… I took a breath to steady myself.

"Alright… Dungeon Time…"

As I proceeded down the corridor I grew exited. I hadn't done this in quite a while. _I wonder if I'll see Freedan and Gaia? _I hadn't seen them in such a long time. I vaguely remember being mad at Freedan but that didn't seem so important now. Especially when my friend was in trouble.

Eventually I came upon some opposition. A soldier clad in armor fired an arrow in my direction. I blocked it with my flute and attacked. One blow knocked his bow away while the next made him stagger a bit, allowing time for me to make the final strike.

"_Psycho Slider!_" I slid into him, knocking him down. When he collapsed to the floor I noticed the armor was empty. _Freaky…_

Before I had time to relax, a flaming eye flew at me and started spewing fire everywhere. I dodged easily and quickly defeated it.

"Heh, nice warm up but where's the _real_ competition?" I said cockily.

I entered a room and quickly dodged a barrage of arrows. "Damn, knock it off!" I eliminated them and jumped down to an area below. After dealing with more fireball things I climbed a ladder and stopped. Something shiny had caught my attention.

I bent over and picked it up. "A stone?" I paused. "This must be from the necklace Lance was making for Lilly!" _Lance… _I looked around. _I'm coming…_

I continued following the path of stones until I could go no more. Having nothing left to do I fell down a shaft. I fell for quite a while until I landed in a room lined with statues of Chinese soldiers.

I looked around cautiously. "Okay… These things better not come to life and- Whoa!" I bent down as an arrow flew over my head. "Dammit, I said _not_ come to life! _Psycho Dash!_"

Luckily none of the other statues moved and I continued on.

It wasn't long before I found a portal to Dark Space.

"Here goes…"

I entered and was greeted by Gaia as usual.

"Welcome, Young Will. It has been long since our last encounter…"

"You can say that again…" I was a little disappointed to see Freedan's statue missing. "New power time?"

She nodded. "I trust you know what to do."

"Yep." I placed my hand on the statue of myself. After the familiar zap, I turned to Gaia for an explanation.

"The name of this power is called the Spin Dash," she said. "Only you may use this power. After gathering energy you can spin yourself to create a force strong enough to destroy enemies and climb steep inclines."

"Steep inclines?" I asked.

"There are many here at the Great Wall. Try everything."

"No problem." I was about to thank her for the ability when I remembered it was not Gaia who gave me this power. _Perhaps Freedan knows? Too bad he's not here…_

I left the Dark Space and started backtracking, looking for any inclines I had neglected. It wasn't long till I found some. I quickly gathered energy…

_Okay, now how exactly do I do this? Lets see… It's a Spin Dash so I have to spin… _I began to spin and quickly wished I hadn't. "Whoa!"

I hurtled forward, up the incline, spinning rapidly.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" I tried to steady myself as I stopped spinning. I leaned up against the wall for support. "That…was new…" I cleared my head and moved on. _That's gunna take some getting used to…_

After destroying a couple more demons, including an annoying bunch of snakes that had a bad habit of biting and not letting go, I found another portal to dark Space.

"I already got a new ability which means…" I smiled. "Freedan!" As I entered the portal I thought of what I'd say. We weren't exactly on friendly terms the last time we were together. Sighing, I approached his statue.

_Hey, Freedan…_

_Hello to you too, Will. _He greeted. _Its been a while…_

_Yeah… _I paused. "Well _this_ is awkward…"

_Will, do you need my assistance? _he asked.

_Yeah but-_

_Do not worry, _he said, guessing what I was hesitant about. _Its all in the past. I can sense that you have changed a great deal since our last encounter._

"You can say that again…"

_Regardless of any strife between us… I will always be there to help you._

I smiled. _Thanks Freedan and…sorry for being a jerk before… _I guess I've been doing a lot of apologizing lately.

_Forget about it. _He said. _Now what seems to be the problem?_

_My friend. He's in trouble._

_Say no more._

I closed my eyes and felt myself slipping away…

**X**

When Freedan came to, he smiled. "Long has it been since I've been in control…"

"Freedan," said Gaia. "No doubt you already know but-"

"A Mystic Statue is nearby. Yes, I know." he said. Before he left he asked, "The Comet…how long?"

"Not long" she answered grimly.

"Then I should hurry…"

Freedan took a moment to check his surroundings. "The Great Wall, eh? I see they still haven't finished it…"

_Freedan! _called Will.

_Yes?_

_My friend is somewhere in this ruin. He was looking for an elixir for his father. Do you know where it might be?_

_Unfortunately, no. However…_

_However what? _asked Will.

_The construction of the Wall was delayed several times due to the Sand Fanger. It is said its venom can cure any illness._

_Then we should hurry! _urged Will. _Lance wouldn't stand a chance against something like that._

_Agreed._

Freedan continued down the path, killing enemies that Will had neglected. Upon killing a bow soldier a hidden path was revealed allowing him access to other parts of the dungeon.

He was only delayed once by a puzzle of sorts, but he quickly solved it and moved on.

After dodging a few traps and destroying a couple demons he came upon another room filled with statues of soldiers.

_Careful, Freedan. _warned Will. _Some might come to life and-_

He was cut off as one statue did just that. Freedan swung with his sword and defeated it easily. Sensing another soldier, he stored energy in preparation of his next attack.

"_Dark Friar!_" The ball of energy flew through the air killing its target instantly.

Once all the enemies had been destroyed a portal to Dark Space appeared.

_Already? _groaned Will. _But we haven't found Lance yet and I still have some questions…_

_What are they? _asked Freedan.

_What? _Will paused. _Are you actually going to answer this time?_

_Possibly, if you ask now. We are running out of time, Will. The Comet fast approaches and you need to be prepared when that time comes._

_Alright then! _he said excited. _Um, what to ask first? _After some thought he said, _Okay… There's a lot of questions I want answered but I can deal with not knowing. But there is one thing I'd like to know._

_And what is that?_

_My power… All this time I thought Gaia was supplying but she's told me other wise… Where does it come from? How can I do what I can do? What's happening to me, Freedan?_

_One question at a time, Will. _He paused. _First off, Gaia doesn't supply your power, like you know. She acts as a sort of medium between yourself and your Dark Power._

_Medium? _he asked confused. _I don't get it._

_Your powers come from you and you alone. _he explained. _Once you reach a certain peak, you are able to use multiple abilities. Gaia opens the door to those possibilities, so to speak._

_So…okay, makes sense… _he muttered. _What about you?_

_It is the same for me as well._

_But how do you know this?_

_Like you, I started out naïve. When Gaia selected me to be a Knight of Darkness I had no idea what was going on. My body began to change…much like yours is now._

_So you understand._

_Yes… _He entered Dark Space. _And now its time for you to find your friend._

_Alright… Thanks Freedan._

He nodded. _I enjoyed our talk. Perhaps we can continue later?_

Freedan closed his eyes and was lost to darkness.

**X**

_So Freedan started out like me, huh? _I smiled to myself. Somehow that thought seemed cool to me. I was like Freedan…in a way.

Gaia saw this and asked, "Has something pleased you, Young Will?"

"Nope, I'm good." I said happily. "See ya!"

I exited Dark Space and continued to look for my friend.

"He has to be around here somewhere…"

I used a Spin Dash to cross an obstacle and had to top myself from puking. It wasn't a bad move it just…took awhile to get use to…

Eventually I came to a dead end and I dropped down into a sandy pit. Suddenly the ground began to shake violently.

_Could this be the Sand Fanger Freedan warned me about?_

In a second I had my answer. A ginormous worm like creature erupted out of the ground. It flew into the air and dived back into the earth.

I grabbed my flute, "Boss fight, here we go!"

I waited for the Sand Fanger to pop out of the ground again. When it did, I unleashed several attacks on it. Psycho Dash, jump attack, Psycho Slider…anything that'd work.

Eventually the worm began spawning little eggs that would hatch into mini Sand Fangers or would roll across the battle field. Both were annoying so I tried to kill them as fast as I could.

Just as I eliminated a mini Fanger, the mommy Fanger popped out of the ground next to me.

"Time to end this…_Yah!_" I swung with my flute, administering the final blow.

The Sand Fanger, like all previous bosses, exploded upon death leaving behind the fourth Mystic Statue.

I pocketed it knowing I was that much closer to my father. As I continued, I began to get nervous. Where was Lance?

I shouldn't have worried. Standing in the next room was Lance by himself. It made me wonder… _If I went through this whole demon filled dungeon, how did Lance make it here? _I put my thoughts aside as I approached him.

"Hey Lance, what's the deal? You just up and leave and-"

"I'm sorry, Will." he said. "But I got the medicine to cure my father…"

"Oh…" _How? _"Anyway, we should get going. Kara and the others-"

"Lance!"

We both turned around to find Lilly at the doorway. She seemed out of breath as she said, "There you are! Are you crazy? This place is dangerous!"

"Lilly, how did you get here?" I asked.

She fidgeted slightly. "I, um, followed you here…"

"What?-!"

"Sorry, but…you know…" She glanced at Lance and I got the picture.

"Right… I'll just…go… Oh!" I turned to Lance. "Here. These are the stones for…you know…"

"R-Right…"

"Kay. Well… I'll be outside." I said awkwardly. I left through the door and waited. While waiting, I took out the Mystic Statues I had collected so far. _Four down, two to go… I wonder where my journey will take me next?_

**X**

Inside the room Lance and Lilly now faced each other.

"What is that, that Will gave you?" asked Lilly.

"Oh… They were a birthday present for you. It used to be a necklace…" he said. "There aren't many stones left but…will you accept them?"

Lance, fixing the necklace, put it around her neck.

Lilly could feel herself turning red from their close proximity and quickly transformed.

"Aaah… Please don't go." said Lance.

"I-I wont run this time…" She hesitated, "This happened so suddenly, I didn't know what to do… I'm not used to this sort of thing."

"Me neither but… I'm willing to give it a try."

"Me too." she agreed. "I've always felt there was something different about you… I want to give you an answer…" Lilly transformed back and with tears in her eyes said happily, "I love you too… I want to be with you forever…"

There was a short pause.

"Wow!" exclaimed Lance happily. "I've never felt this way before! Its like, like…Like a million summer days!"

"I feel the same." she said happily. "Lance, I'm sorry about yesterday…"

"Forget about it. Its cool… Ha! Just wait till Will here's this! Will! Hey, Will!" He ran out of the room happily.

Lilly sighed. "Now that I've finally told him how I feel, I feel relieved but…

**X**

I quickly put the Statues away as Lance came running of the room like a drunken idiot. _Guess it went well._

"Will! Will, guess what? I'm in _love!_" he exclaimed ecstatic.

"I can see that…"

Just then Lilly came out. "Will…we should go back to the village. I'm sure everyone's worried…"

"Worried? Who could be worried?" asked Lance." Everyone should be happy!"

I sighed at my friend's behavior, "You're right. Lets go."

I left the Great Wall of China with two things, three actually. One was knowing my friend was alright. Another was a Mystic Statue. The third was knowing that my relationship with Freedan was growing. He had actually opened up to me and told me about his past.

It made me anxious to see him again.**

* * *

Yayers! Great Wall down! Now there's only three more dungeons! Kudos to that! Up next…Euro!**

**Till next Chap!**


	20. Euro

**One quick game later and they're off to Euro!**

* * *

Everyone was happy to see us return. The others were all shocked and excited when Lance and Lilly told everyone they were together.

Kara grinned, "I _knew_ it!"

Eric pouted. "Lance has Lilly… Kara has Will… When is it my turn?"

Kara and I glanced at each other and smiled slightly.

"Perhaps your girl is waiting in the next city?" offered Neil. He turned to the rest of us as he said, "The next city lies west of here across a vast desert."

"Dessert?" asked Lance. "What kind?"

Lilly giggled at his joke.

"Not dessert! _Desert!_ And we wont be able to cross it without some Kruks."

"Kruks?" I asked confused. "What's that?"

"They're animals that can go for days without water." explained Kara. "I heard some man in town has some. Perhaps we can borrow them?"

"Alright." I stood up. "I'll go ask."

"But, Will, its night already."

"Its okay. Besides, I feel like a walk."

"Okay," Neil said. "But be careful."

_Yeah right. Like anything in town could kill me…_

I left the house and started searching for this 'Kruk Guy'. It wasn't hard to find him since the town was small. But when I entered the house he was missing.

"Are you looking for my husband?" asked a pregnant woman.

_His wife… _"Yeah. Do you know where he is?" I asked.

She frowned slightly. "He's…working…"

"Okay. Where does he work?" I asked. _Something's wrong. But what?_

"Next to the gambling house is a lotus leaf. Follow it and you will find him…"

"Sure…" _Can you be anymore vague?_

So I thanked the woman and found the leaf she was talking about. After a short trip it took me to a small raft crowded with people. They seemed to be playing a strange game…

Before I could proceed a man stopped me.

"This is the Russian Glass Club. Do you want to join?"

I had no idea what that was but I had to find this Kruk Guy and continue my quest so I said yes.

He simply stared at me baffled. "But you're so young… Do you really want to risk your young life?"

It was then that I remembered what Kara said. These people play games with human lives… I grit my teeth. "Yeah, I wanna join. So move aside, will ya?" I said rudely.

"Alright…" He stepped aside. "Don't come haunting me when it turns sour for you…"

I entered the circle of people and watched the game unfold. I didn't quite get it so I turned to the guy next to me. "So how does this work?"

"The rules are simple." he said. "One of the five glasses contains poison. You drink each in turn and the one who is left alive wins."

"Jeez…people actually do that?" I asked horrified by the thought.

"Hey, its not bad money if you win."

"Yeah, but if you lose its game over…"

"For some, the reason for doing it is worth the risk…" he said seriously.

Before I could ask what he meant by that, one of the competitors collapsed. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened…

"Alright!" yelled the Ref. "Next up is our famed champ!"

The man that I was talking to walked forward and everyone cheered. Obviously he was the fan favorite.

"And his opponent is a newbie, joined just today!" He pointed at me and all eyes followed.

I felt a little self conscious as I stepped forward. _Great… What have I gotten myself into This time?_

"You both know the rules" continued the Ref. "Begin!"

The man turned to me, "Good luck."

I nodded.

"Welp, best start with me, eh?" He walked over to a glass. "_Banzai!_" I watched as he downed it in a single gulp.

"My turn then…" I walked up to a glass and held it up. _Here goes nothing… _I closed my eyes and drank it in one gulp. I sighed in relief. _Water…_

"Nice kid," said my opponent. He walked up to another glass. "_Banzai!_"

Nothing happened so I assumed it wasn't poison. It was my turn next. I faced the two glasses. _50/50 chance, huh? Here goes… _Like the glass before, it was only water. "That means…"

"Only one glass left…" said the man slowly.

"T-That's enough… This young man won…" said a spectator. "You don't have to…"

"Right!" said another. "Quit!"

"No…" said my opponent, staring at the glass determinedly. "I'm the champion. I will not be disgraced." He picked up the glass.

"No, stop!" I tried to stop him but it was too late.

He downed the glass in a single shot and collapsed on the floor.

"_Nooo!_" screamed a spectator.

I just stood there stunned. _Was this My fault? Had I killed him by agreeing to play this horrible game? _I shook my head. _No… He chose to drink it. It was his decision._

As I struggled with these thoughts I remembered why I had come to this raft in the first place. Slowly I approached the Ref.

"Um… Is there a guy with a pregnant wife here? He has some Kruks that I'd like to borrow."

The referee looked at me sadly. "He just died…"

"Huh?" I looked at the body of my opponent. "Oh no…"

Afterwards, the game disbanded. I felt horrible but I knew what I had to do. I paused outside the man's house and knocked.

"Come in." said a voice sweetly.

I walked in and from the expression on my face the woman knew what had happened. She sat down on the bed, tears welling up.

"I knew this day would come…"

"I'm sorry…" I said quietly.

"I knew what he did and I knew it was wrong but I went along with it anyway… We needed the money but now…"

"I'm sorry…" I said again. _Why does his always happen?_

She wiped her tears away and went to the dresser, taking out a sheet of paper. She handed it to me saying, "This is my husband's will. He said to give it to the one who bested him."

I took it and read it over. It read:

_To My Opponent,_

_"If you are reading this then I'm no longer around. I had meant to quit and travel with my wife when my child was born but now it seems I can no longer do that. The four Kruks outside are now yours. Please use them since I will never be able to."_

I looked up from the will, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yes, I have no need for them. Now that my husband is gone I don't think I can ever leave this place…"

"Alright…"

I left the house and went home. It was late so everyone had already turned in for the night. Following their example, I did the same.

In the morning I told everyone about the Kruks. When they asked where I got them I simply shrugged it off.

I was outside preparing the Kruks for our long journey when Lilly approached me.

"Hey, Will." she began.

"Oh, hey Lilly… What's up?"

She looked at me like she wanted to say something but didn't know how.

I sighed, "You're staying behind, aren't you?"

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Sorry but, its kind of obvious." I turned to face her. "Lance isn't going to leave now that he's found his father so its only natural that you'd stay with him."

She smiled sadly, "I'm gunna miss you, Will."

I mimicked her expression, "Same here."

"I hate to leave you with your quest and all…"

"Its cool." I said. "You have your life and I have mine."

"I just wish I could help in some way…" she said upset.

"You already have. You were there when I didn't have anyone. You've been my friend from the beginning and even though this is good bye, you'll always be my friend, Lilly. The same goes for Lance."

She smiled brightly. "Yeah! What am I getting all depressed for? Its not like the end of the world!"

We both paused, staring at each other.

"Everything'll be fine. I'll get the Mystic Statues, save the world, and come back here to tell you all about my adventures." I said casually. _At least, I Hope it will be fine…_

"Speaking of which… Have you told anyone else?"

"No," I admitted.

"Will!"

"All they know is that I like visiting ruins. I don't see the need to tell them other wise."

"What about Kara?"

I hesitated. "She doesn't have to know…"

"Yes, she does. She trusts you, Will. And if you don't tell her-"

"Alright! I'll tell her!" I paused. _Eventually._

"Good." she nodded. "And about Lance…"

"Don't worry. I'm sure he's in good hands."

She smiled and gave me a brief hug. "I'm gunna miss you, Will."

"Me too."

So after saying our good byes, we left Lance and Lilly and mounted our Kruks.

**X**

The journey across the desert was going to be a long one. Knowing that Lance and Lilly weren't coming just made the trip seem longer. I was saddened to leave my friends behind but this was their choice. We would just have to continue our journey without them.

We crossed the desert and finally arrived in the city of Euro. The place was a bustling city far larger than any town I'd seen. Neil's parents lived there and ran a popular company called Rolek. What they did, I didn't know.

Neil, being the shut in inventor he was, hadn't been home in three years so when we arrived his parents were ecstatic. They threw a festival with fireworks and dancers… It was really fun.

The morning after the party, Neil came to greet us.

"I hope you all enjoyed yourselves last night."

"You bet!" cheered Erik. "We should do it again!"

"Indeed! The festival was very lovely. Don't you think so, Will?" asked Kara.

I nodded. "It was awesome."

Neil laughed. "Well, make yourselves at home. I don't know how long we'll be staying here but you should go out and explore the town. Euro is a fine city."

"I think I will." I said, getting up. "Kara, would you like to come?"

"Oh, no thank you. I'm still a little tired from the festival."

"Ok then… Be back later!" I waved good bye and left to explore the city of Euro.

The town was huge and had a large open market where you could by almost anything.

I walked up to a vendor selling apples, "Hey there."

"Why hello! What can I get ya?" he greeted.

"Nothing really…" I eyed the fruit. It looked good.

"Come on now. You must want something!"

"No, I'm good… Just browsing…" Suddenly a thought hit me. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know of any ruins around here, would you?"

"Ruins? Not really…" He paused. "Try Erasquez and Rofsky, two old blokes who live in town. They're always arguing about something. Might know 'bout yer ruins."

"Alright, thanks." I was about to leave when I noticed the weird look he was giving me. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing, its just… You're the second person to ask me about that…"

"Really?"

The man nodded. "The other day a man called the Jackal was asking questions. He had the look of evil." He shuddered. "I think he was chasing someone…"

I froze. _The Jackal? He's the guy hired by the King to capture us. So he followed us all the way here? _I looked back to Neil's house where Kara and I were staying. _We best be careful. Or better yet, leave this place soon…_

"You okay? You look pale…"

"N-No, I'm fine. Thanks for the advice." I left the vender feeling slightly worse than when I had arrived.

On the way to the two old men's house I saw a line outside a building. Curious, I investigated.

"Hey, why're all you lined up here?" I asked.

"You can buy life medicine in this shop." said a boy. "I don't know if it helps but in these times…"

"I saw the line and wondered what was going on," said a girl, "But I've been waiting forever! When is it my turn?"

Intrigued, I decided to line up too. I waited…and waited…and waited… I tapped my foot impatiently. "Any day now…" So I waited some more until it was my turn. "'Bout time!"

When I entered the building a woman greeted my. "Oh! You're Neil's cousin! Please, pick anything you like. Its on the house."

"Oh, thanks." _I guess being the cousin of an heir to a fortune has its perks. _

I chose a life enhancing potion and drank it. What the heck? If it works, great, if not, I just have a nasty taste in my mouth. There was another potion which I chose that seemed to make me feel a bit stronger. _Maybe this stuff does work?_

When I left, the lady bowed and asked for me to drop by again.

_Like that'll ever happen. There's no way I'm going to Wait in that line again…_

All detours aside, I finally arrived at Rofsky and Eraspquez's home. When I walked in they were arguing about something.

"True genius is a violent thing!" yelled Rofsky. "It sounds like a tempest!"

"You just dash off packs of lies!" yelled Erasquez back. "Don't brag!"

"Um… excuse me…" I said, making my presence known.

The two men eyed me up and down.

"Hey you… You seem…different…" started Erasquez.

"Yeah, like you have some strange power or something…" finished Rofsky.

_Hold up. Can these guys sense Dark Power? _"Um, I was wondering-"

The two men turned to one another, completely ignoring me.

"Do you suppose…?"

"Yes, I believe so…"

I stared at them confused. "Um…guys? Trying to talk here."

They faced me simultaneously. It was creepy.

"You must embark on a most dangerous quest!" declared Rofsky.

"A quest that only _you_ can accomplish!" exclaimed Erasquez.

"Quest? But I'm already on a quest! And why do I have to do it?" I asked. These old guys were starting to get on my nerves.

"You are the only one capable!"

"Indeed."

"You must use your power to scale Mt. Kress…" explained Rofsky.

"Scale it!" echoed Erasquez.

"Once there, you shall discover the most holy of objects…"

"Holy!"

"And what _is_ this 'holy object'?" I asked. _Maybe it's a Mystic Statue?_

"The most holy of objects is…"

You could just _hear_ the drum roll.

"The Almighty Teapot!"

My eyes narrowed. "Teapot…?"

"But not just _any_ teapot!" they continued. "Its said that the teapot holds enshrined tears once shed by a spirit."

"Spirit?" _I don't know about 'Teapot' but it sure does sound like a Mystic Statue… _I sighed. _Better safe than sorry… _"So where can I find this Mt. Kress?"

Their faces lit up. "You'll go? You'll get the Teapot?"

"Yes, I'll get the Teapot…" I said, bored with their hyperness.

"Very well then!" Rofsky took my map and marked its location. "You can do it! I have faith!"

"Sure you do…" I took back my map and left. _Jeez, what was all That about? Still…it may be a Mystic Statue…_

With that thought in mind, I left Euro for Mt. Kress. I didn't bother to tell anyone as usual. They were used to me disappearing for days on end now.**

* * *

I had fun with this chapter as you can tell. I feel sorry for Will tho… You should know why. 'sigh' I hate the Mountain Temple. Its totally useless, in my opinion. But alas, go there we shall…**

**Till next Chap!**


	21. Mt Temple

**Gah! Why does it have to be so cold? With that thought in mind, here's chap 21!**

* * *

It wasn't long before I found Mt. Kress. When I climbed the mountain I found myself in a strange place. There were mushrooms many times bigger than me and plant stalks scattered around. Not to mention all the unusual demons.

I took out my flute, "Oh yeah! A Mystic Statue _has_ to be here!"

The dungeon was very hard to navigate. All the mushrooms and foliage made it hard to tell where I was going. Everything looked the same.

The demons, too, were a problem. Now, I'm not a huge fan of dark and occult-ish things but spiders and floating skulls just don't do it for me.

I was heading down a narrow passage when a giant spider decided to swing its way over to me. Naturally I responded by attacking first, asking questions later.

The spider then spewed a disgusting purplish ooze which I avoided like the plague. After a quick Psycho Slider it died. But apparently these spiders traveled in packs.

I ran for it and that's when I encountered the floating skulls. This place was like a nightmare made real!

"Out of the way!" I yelled. One Psycho Dash later the Skull crumpled to the floor.

The dungeon continued that way for some time. There were some enemies I couldn't kill so I knew I'd have to come back as Freedan.

"Freedan…" I paused to think. _I wonder what he'll tell me this time? _I cursed myself for pausing in a dungeon as four floating skulls thought it'd be nice to gang bang me.

I defeated them fairly easily unveiling a hidden path to a chest. Inside were some mushroom drops.

"Great… Now what am I supposed to do with these?" Then it hit me. "Use the drops to grow plants!" _Weren't there some wilted stalks earlier…?_

So after some backtracking, I sprinkled the drops on the wilted plants. The plants grew like crazy, creating a make shift bridged allowing me access to more parts of the dungeon. On the other side were, of course, more demons.

I was doing fine on my own but if this kept up…

I dodged as another flute bearing witch summoned mini fireballs to protect her.

"Dammit! Stop doing that!" I got up close so her barrier couldn't hurt me and wailed away. After a few blows she was defeated. I had to remember to guard as the remaining fireballs flew off in multiple directions.

"Phew… Out of all the demons I've faced…That one has to be the most annoying…" I thought for a second. "Then again, those phantoms in Mu were tough too… Heh, that rhymes…"

My reward for killing the demons on the mushroom tops? More mushroom drops… Heh, it rhymes again…

I mentally slapped myself.

Knowing what to do, I backtracked and used the drops to create a new path. I was relieved when I found a portal to Dark Space.

_Finally… _Upon entering, I was greeted by Gaia.

"Welcome, Young Will. You seem hurt…"

I closed my eyes as the familiar light healed my wounds. Looking around I found the statue of Freedan, only slightly altered.

"So I guess Freedan gets something?"

She nodded and gestured to it as if saying, "Come on! Change already!"

I touched the statue. _Oh Freedan!_

_What is it, Will? _he asked.

_Looks like you reached a new peak. _I grinned. _All these years and you're Still learning new abilities… Don't you ever quit?_

_Heh, maybe someday…_

_Yeah…someday… _I closed my eyes and that was it.

**X**

Upon awakening, Freedan approached the statue, touching it. As usual he faced Gaia.

"The dark ability Aura Barrier can now be used," she explained. "With it, you can create a barrier around yourself for protection. It should come in handy in this dangerous place."

He nodded. "Very well then…"

"Oh, and Freedan?"

"What is it?"

"How is Will? You seem to be on good terms with him of late."

"Indeed… He is turning into a fine Knight. Although…"

"Although what?" asked Gaia.

"There is still much he doesn't know…"

"There is still time."

"And like you said, time is running out…" He turned from her and exited Dark Space.

After eliminating some more demons he, too, came across more mushroom drops.

_Will, what are these for?_

_You don't know? _he asked surprised.

_Is that a problem?_

_Well…no. Its just… You always seem to know everything…_

_Well then, enlighten me, Will, as to what these drops do. _he said, slightly sarcastic.

_Is that sarcasm I hear?_

_Will…_

He laughed. _Alright, alright… A ways back, there were some wilted plants…and a monster I think… Anyway, use the drops on the plants and it'll create a new path. _he explained.

_Thank you. Now tell me again why we are here? _he asked as he started backtracking.

_I think a Mystic Statue is here._

_A Mystic Statue? But I don't sense anything…_

_Well Something has to be here! _he said. _Demons just don't gather for nothing!_

_True…_

So after using the drops, Freedan continued to explore the dungeon. Against his sword the demons quickly fell. At the end of the dungeon was a long corridor of mushrooms. At the end of the corridor there was a chest.

_This is it! _exclaimed Will. _The Mystic Statue!_

_Im still not sensing anything, _said Freedan unsure.

_Well open it and find out!_

_Very well then…_

Freedan opened the chest and stared blankly at its contents. "Its…a teapot…"

_What?-! _yelled Will angrily. _We went through all that for a teapot?-!_

_Will…need I remind you that you are yelling in my head?_

_But a Teapot?-!_

Freedan cringed. _Will…next time you go on a wild goose chase, leave me out._

_But I really thought it was going to be a Mystic Statue… _he said disappointed.

_In any case, we should leave…_

_I guess…_

As they were leaving Will asked, _Freedan, what happens after we destroy the comet?_

He paused. _Well, that's an odd thing to ask._

_Why's that?_

_You usually don't think that far ahead…_

_Is that supposed to be funny?_

He chuckled. _Personally, I don't know. That question is better given to Gaia._

_So…hmm…_

_Will? _he asked.

_Its nothing. Lets get out of here…_

Freedan stopped just before the entrance. _Will, its time._

_Alright. Heh, guess its me and the teapot from now on…_

He laughed. _Good luck with that._

_Bye, Freedan._

He hesitated. _Good bye…Will…_

Dropping to one knee, he soon lost consciousness.

**X**

I came to slightly confused. "Well _that_ was weird… Why was Freedan acting strange just now?" I shrugged it off. _Freedan Always acts strange… Still, the fact that he couldn't answer my question bothers me…_

We were getting closer to the end of the journey. But Freedan didn't have the answers, and Gaia wouldn't divulge. Who was there to answer?

I shook my head, "At least I have my teapot…"

**X**

The journey back was dull and boring. Just like that dungeon I had been through…

When I showed the men the teapot they simply gasped in amazement.

"The Teapot!" They looked at each other stunned. "It really _does_ exist!"

I groaned. _So I did all that for nothing… _Before I left, Erasquez called out to me.

"Best be careful, lad!"

"Careful!" echoed Rofsky.

"I sense the presence of evil in this town!"

"Thanks, I'll be careful…" I said flatly.

"It might be someone in town square…" he continued.

_Doesn't his guy know when to shut up?_

"Or someone you know… Use the Teapot on anyone you suspect."

"Oh yes. The Magical Teapot!" I said sarcastically. "I'll be sure to use it."

I left quickly before they could say anything more. "Holy Teapot my ass… _Use on evil spirits, huh? _As I thought that, Neil's parents walked by. The spotted me and quickly looked away and hurried off. _Now There's an evil spirit for ya…_

Curious, I asked a man where they had come from.

"The president?" he asked. "Oh, him and his wife come to the Shrine often."

"Shrine?" _I don't remember seeing a Shrine…_

"Its off to the back of town between two buildings. Here, I'll show you."

So I followed the guy and entered what appeared to be a small shrine.

The man backed up saying, "I don't much like it here so Im going to go now…"

Before I could ask him why, he was already gone.

"That was weird…"

I could feel a small breeze coming from behind a statue so, being the nosy thing I am, I investigated. Behind the statue was a secret room. Inside were several laborers.

_So this is why Rolek is so popular… Its in league with the slave trade! _I clenched my fist angrily. "I always knew Neil's parents were rotten but this?" _Does Neil know?_

I journeyed back to Neil's house and was immediately greeted by Kara.

"Oh, Will, you're back!"

"er, Yeah, do you know where Neil is?" I asked quickly.

"He's with his parents. Why? Has something happened? Where have you been?"

"Not know, Kara…" I side stepped her and continued onward looking for Neil.

When I found him he was sitting at a table with his mother and father. I don't know why, but I sensed something evil about them… Hey, if Freedan can sense Mystic Statues, I can sense evil people, even though that is extremely creepy.

I approached them cautiously, an idea forming in my head. I took out the teapot I had received from Mt. Kress.

"Oh, Will!" greeted Neil, spotting me. "You didn't have to bring tea…"

"Oh, that's okay." I said, going along with it. "Let me just-Oops!"

I faked a trip, sending the contents of the pot flying everywhere. The tears landed on Neil's parents, revealing their true form.

Their bodies changed to that of the Moon Tribe and quickly departed. Before they left, one spirit lingered saying, "Soon this world will be wrapped in darkness…kukuku."

"What have you done with my parents?-!" shouted Neil angrily.

The spirit laughed sinisterly. "The previous owner of this body is now a skeleton rotting under the Shrine! There is nothing you can do about the coming darkness so why don't you follow their example? Kukuku…" The spirit left, leaving silence behind.

I turned to my cousin. He stared ahead blankly. "Neil…"

"I finally realize how important my parents are to me." He said quietly. "I wish I could have told them…" He trailed off. "Will, just lave me alone for awhile…"

I stared at my cousin sadly, "Neil…"

"Just…go…"

I nodded and left. Once in the hall Kara walked up to me.

"Will, what's wrong? You look upset…"

"I'm…fine…" Just then I remembered the story of the Jackal and how he was still looking for us. "Kara, we should be more careful from now on, okay?"

"Okay… But what's happened?" she asked confused.

"Its nothing…"

She frowned but said nothing. As she left she said, "I trust you, Will."

I closed my eyes. _And I don't deserve that trust…_

**X**

The next day everyone knew what had happened with Neil's parents. We sat in our room gloomily. Just then, Neil came in.

"Hey guys… Sorry about yesterday…"

"Its alright. You have nothing to be sorry for." comforted Kara.

"Yeah well… I've thought about it all night and I've decided… As of today I am the new president of the Rolek company."

"What?-!" I exclaimed. _Neil? A president?-!_

"For real?"

He nodded. "If I want to stop the slave trade, I have to change the company that started it…"

"So you're going to be a president?" asked Kara. "That's amazing!"

Neil laughed. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me… By the way…" he turned to her, "Kara, someone's come asking for you. Something about being an old friend?"

My heart stopped. _The Jackal! It has to be!_

"What? Who is it?" she asked.

"Hey! Come in!" called Neil.

I was about to reach for my flute when I heard a familiar noise.

"Oink Oink" A pure pink pig strolled into the room right to Kara.

She smiled broadly in delight. "Hamlet! What happened? Are you okay?"

Neil shook his head. "Lilly found him in Watermia and sent him over using Rolek's Delivery service. He sure has come a long way…"

"Hold up…" I said, a thought hitting me. "If you're going to be president then…"

He sighed. "That's right… Sorry guys, but I cant travel with you anymore…"

"Aw…" Kara looked sad. "First Lance and Lilly, now you?"

"You cant go!" cried Erik. "You cant leave me with Kara and Will! I'd be a third wheel!"

I rolled my eyes.

"In any case, where will you go next?" asked Neil.

"Well…" I faltered.

"You still like ruins, right Will?" asked Kara. "I was doing some research while you were away and found some nearby. Its called Ankor Wat, I think."

"Ankor Wat?"

"We could go there if you'd like…"

"Ok, sure. Why not?" _Ruins equal Mystic Statue but apparently Mountain Temples equal Teapots…_

Erik groaned. "Great… More ruins…"

So after saying good bye to Neil we left for Ankor Wat. It seemed like I was saying good bye more often nowadays. That's one thing I hoped wouldn't continue…**

* * *

Now that the useless temple is out of the way… Time for my fav part of the game! I love the Native Village part, pure awesomeness! Up next, on IoG!**

**Till next Chap!**


	22. Native's Village

**Eep! I love this part. Hope you do too! Finally, the beans spill and Will gets found out! Heh, enjoy!**

* * *

On our way to the ruins we stopped at a Native's Village to rest. The place looked deserted and desolate. I don't know what it was, but the place gave me a bad feeling…

Kara sighed tiredly, "I had no idea how hot it would be… Its like we're in the tropics…"

"I don't feel so good, guys…" mumbled Erik. "I think its heat stroke…"

I rolled my eyes. "You're fine, Erik." I looked around and spotted two huts. "We can rest over there."

As we walked through the empty village we began to notice things. The huts were worn down and falling apart… Several skeletons lay scattered on the ground…

"Strange… Not a soul here and skeletons laying around…"said Kara. "I'm getting some creepy vibes…"

"Can we just go in?" whined Erik. "I'm hot!"

Kara turned to me, "Will?"

"You two go on ahead. I want to explore some more…" I said.

"Okay, just don't run off again!"

She and Erik entered the first hut leaving me to myself. In the next hut over I found three statues of girls. They seemed real…

"Freaky…" As I inspected them I remembered what the laborers had said. _People turning to stone, famine, disease… _"Is this all because of the Comet?"

Outside, I inspected the bones. They weren't weathered yet… Only recently bleached white.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead. _Man, it really is hot… Guess I should go rest inside…_

Once inside I noticed that it, too, was empty and barren.

"I guess this village has been abandoned," I said. "I couldn't find any trace of people."

"That's good," sighed Erik relieved. "That means we can rest here if we want." He sat down. "I'm exhausted…"

_Out of everyone on this trip, Erik is the least changed. _"What do you think, Kara? Want to call it a day?"

She nodded. "I'm tired from all the walking… Not to say I'm complaining!" she said quickly. "Its just-"

"I understand. Lets rest here for the day…"

Exhausted from the trip, we all fell into a deep sleep…

I rolled over as I felt Hamlet's cold nose on my shoulder. "Hamlet…let me sleep awhile longer…"

Kara felt me move and groaned sleepily, "Mmm…Will… Don't be so noisy… I'm trying to-" Suddenly she sat up, "Ah! _W-Who are you?-!_"

Startled by Kara's outburst I bolted up, wide awake. Five or six natives had surrounded us in our sleep.

"Who are you?-!" I repeated. I reached for my flute when I felt a sharp pain on my neck. I pulled out a small dart that had been fired at me. "What the-" Suddenly I felt sleepy again.

"_Will!_" screamed Kara as one of the natives grabbed her. "Will, help!"

Erik was already captured and crying hysterically.

I tried to will myself to stay awake but it was no use. In a matter of seconds I was out. The last thing I remember was Kara's frightened face as the natives dragged her outside…

When I came to I was tied up and being held up by a native. Kara and Erik were in similar situations on either side of me. I stared ahead, taking I my surroundings.

Several natives danced around a blazing bonfire. Others watched hungrily. It was then that I realized what was going on.

_They're going to eat us! _I started to panic. _No! No way! I didn't come all this way just to be eaten by a bunch of starving cannibals! _I turned to Kara. "Kara, are you alright?"

She faced me frightened, "Will, what are we going to do? The villagers seem upset…"

"Of course they're upset!" cried Erik. "They're hungry and guess who's on the menu? _Us!_" He paused as he said, "I bet all those bones are the remains of their victims…"

I hate to admit it but I think he was right. _What are we going to do?_

Hamlet, who had been held back by a native broke free and ran to Kara.

She looked down at her beloved pet. "Hamlet… Why such a sad look? Its as if…as if we shall soon be parted…"

With one last tiny 'oink' Hamlet threw himself into the fire. We watched in horror as Hamlet burned alive before our eyes.

Kara screamed, "_Aaaaah!_ Hamlet! Hamlet, _nooo!_" She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the scene before her.

I couldn't believe what had just happened. "Hamlet…why…?"

Erik simply sobbed saying, "Poor Hamlet… To eat or not to eat…?"

"Hamlet…" cried Kara.

Just then there was a flash and a spirit of a woman appeared over Hamlet's body making the natives step back in fear. When the spirit spoke, it sounded familiar…

"Listen everyone, it was Hamlet's wish to be food for these people." she said. "One baby pig could save many."

I stared at the spirit in wonder, "Mother…?"

The spirit smiled and turned to me, "Will…" He expression grew serious as she said, "Listen, Will and everyone here, Darkness is approaching this world. You must combine your strength to save the planet…"

"Why is the planet in danger?" asked Kara.

_Oh no… My secret!_

The spirit simply shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't have enough time…" She turned to me, "Will, find the Mystic Statues and go to the Tower of Babel… Hurry…"

All of a sudden the ropes binding us disappeared and the spirit vanished.

"Mother…"

"What did she mean?" demanded Kara. "Will, what was she talking about?"

_Uh oh… _"I-Its nothing…" I stuttered awkwardly.

She glared at me. "Its not _'nothing'!_ What are you hiding from us?"

Erik, sensing a fight coming, quickly left. I wished I could go with him.

"Will!"

I sighed. "Don't worry about it, Kara. I got it under control."

"You're lying! Why is the world in danger? What are Mystic Statues?-!"

I half smiled. Kara was asking the same questions I had once asked myself.

"What is so funny?-!" She yelled. "Answer my question!"

Having no other choice I gave in. "Kara, do you remember what Seth told us in the tunnel?"

She thought for a minute. "He said…that evolution was being affected by the light from a comet…and there was something about ruins…"

I smiled. _Nice memory…_

"But what has that got to do with anything?" she asked.

"Kara, the Comet's light is affecting how Earth should be and is slowly destroying this world. That's why… That's why I have to gather all the Mystic Statues and destroy it." I said finally. I stared at Kara, waiting for her reaction.

"So…that's why you've been running off to various ruins? Looking for these _statues_ so you could save the world?"

I nodded. "That about sums it up."

"And you never told me?-!" she yelled, mad again. "You lied to me! You said I could trust you, Will!"

I hung my head, "I'm sorry…"

"I believed you when you said you liked to visit ruins." she continued. "I thought you _enjoyed_ exploring the world and spending time with us."

"Kara, I-"

"But, no! You were just using us to accomplish your quest! Why didn't you say anything?-! Did you not think we could handle it?-!"

"I told Lilly." As soon as I said that, I regretted it.

Kara glared at me with the utmost hatred. "You told _her_ but you didn't tell _me?-!_"

"I didn't want to put you in any danger!" I said quickly. "I didn't want to see you get hurt!"

"Well I _am_ hurt, Will!" she cried. "Hurt that you didn't trust me enough with the truth!" She started walking away.

"Kara, wait!"

"No! Leave me alone! Why don't you go off to your little ruin and get a mystic-whatever, seeing as its so important to you!"

I watched her go feeling horrible. Lilly knew this would happen. That's why she wanted me to tell Kara sooner. _Why didn't I listen?_

I turned away from the village and left. I didn't want to have to deal with any of it anymore. Sighing, I headed north towards the ruins of Ankor Wat where I hoped to find another Mystic Statue.

As I left, I could smell the aroma of roasting Hamlet.

"Good bye…Hamlet…"

* * *

**A-blee, A-blee, A-blee, That's all folks!**

**Gah! Hamlet died! Kara's mad! And Erik…who cares? Up next: My fav dungeon! Ankor Wat. See ya soon!**

**Till next Chap!**


	23. Ankor Wat

**Been awhile, eh? -sighs- Even tho I like this place, the chap is kind 'a sad. You'll find out why soon enough…**

**Enjoy!****

* * *

**Through the jungle, three days journey from the Native's Village, I found a huge temple. It was far larger than any ruin I had previously visited.

I took out my flute, "Lets get this over with…"

Ever since my fight with Kara I'd been feeling down. I hoped that finding a Mystic Statute would lift my spirits.

The passage leading into the ruin was guarded by several blue-ish demons. They had the body of a man but their heads were anything but human. The neck would extend so the head could attack the victim.

I dodged and quickly countered. After a few hits I severed the head revealing the true enemy.

A giant eye on the torso opened up and the body started running towards me.

"I don't think so! _Psycho Slider!_" After a couple more hits it finally collapsed. "Damn…that was tough…" I groaned as five more came towards me. "Alright, who wants to die first?"

When the blue demons were defeated I entered the temple. Before I could take in my surroundings, a floating head came right at me.

"Whoa!" I quickly ducked and recovered. I waited for it to come back, storing energy. "_Psycho Dash!_" My attack landed but it wasn't enough to kill it.

I was about to strike again when the head split in two!

I grit my teeth as my attack went right through it. "Dammit!" I waited impatiently for it to combine again so I could kill it. "And don't come back!"

It wasn't long, however, until I encountered another one. I was about to attack it when a stone golem appeared out of no where.

"Gah! What is this? Gang up on Will day?-!"

After several minutes I finally killed them all. I took a moment to catch my breathe. "Damn… I hope the rest of the dungeon isn't like this…"

Following the path I continued until I encountered some weird demons that hung on the wall. They fired a tiny energy ball at me. Tiny, but powerful.

"Ah, dammit!" I yelled as I just barely avoided it. "Knock it off!" I attacked it only to be rewarded by tiny worms which it spewed. I ignored them and focused on the main enemy. Once it was dispatched I killed the worms.

Eventually I could go no further. Having no where else to go I dropped off a ledge to the floor below. But before I could go any further the floor gave way. I fell through darkness and landed on something…squishy…

"Oh ew…_gross!_" I had landed in a pit of insects. Trying not to step on them but succeeding in squishing many, I got out and continued.

"Man, I've been here for fifteen minutes and already I hate it…" As I went up some stairs I was greeted by another floating head which annoyed me but I defeated it.

In the next room there were several variations of the floating head. They were purple and had a tendency to follow whatever they were attached to, like a wall or pillar. This made them easy to kill but every time I attacked they just got faster.

"Stop…speeding…up!" I yelled as I chased after it. "There!" I breathed heavily as I continued. "Stupid…dungeon…"

I passed through an intricate door and found myself in a large garden. To my right I could see a portal to Dark Space.

"Bingo!"

As I traversed the garden I came upon some demons pretending to be plants. I destroyed them quickly and entered Dark Space.

"'Bout time…"

"Hello, Young Will…" greeted Gaia.

"Hey…" I went to Freedan's statue. _Time for some action, Freedan._

_Alright then._

_Be careful, though. These guys are tough. _I warned.

_I'll take that into consideration._

**X**

"Freedan…" started Gaia.

He sighed. "I know. I will not fail." Grasping his sword, he left Dark Space and entered Ankor Wat.

As Freedan traversed the garden he came across the bones of a lost explorer. There was a journal also. It read:

"_We crossed the jungle to the Native Village. We didn't understand the language, but they beckoned for us to stay. When I awoke in the morning, only Captain Freizer and I remained. We saw the bodies of our comrades and ran into the jungle. That's when we discovered Ankor Wat. Rumor says that you can gain immortality here where the spirits live, but all I saw were demons… I'm going back to my friends… If I don't survive, who would mourn?_

Freedan closed the journal and put it back. "Yet another unsuccessful expedition…" _Will, _he called, _How are you feeling?_

_Why? _he asked confused. _I'm fine._

He paused. _Alright._

Freedan continued exploring the garden and eventually found another pass leading into the temple. After killing some purple head demons he entered another room.

_Freedan, _called Will. _How are You feeling?_

_I'm fine. _he replied.

He continued until he found another portal to Dark Space.

"Greetings, Freedan," said Gaia slowly.

He nodded and approached the statue of himself. After the slight shock he asked, "And what power is this?"

"The power you have been given is called the Earthquaker. It is a move that only you can use. Using this ability you can cause earthquakes, momentarily stunning your enemies."

"I see…" He turned to leave.

"Freedan, are you alright?"

He smiled sadly. "Just…doing my duty."

He exited and continued on his way. Eventually he came upon a small passageway but when he tried to enter, a demon got in his way. He tried to kill it but it was futile.

"Alright then… Time to use that ability…" He forcefully thrust his sword into the ground. "_Earthquaker!_"

The force of the impact created a small earthquake, temporarily stunning his opponent. He passed by it easily and continued.

_That was awesome! _exclaimed Will. _Freedan?_

…

_You okay? _he asked worriedly.

_I assure you, I am fine. _he replied.

_You're not 'acting' fine… Come on, tell me what's up._

Freedan sighed. _Its nothing you should be concerned about._

Will paused, remembering his conversation with Kara. _Alright Freedan, tell me what's up right now or else I'm going to sing the most ridiculous song I know at the top of my lungs._

_Will…_

_One._

_Don't do it._

_Two._

_There's nothing to talk about!_

_Three!_

Freedan braced himself.

_If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops, oh what a rain that would be! Standing outside with my mouth open wide! Aah, ah ah aah, ah ah aah, ah ah aaah!_

"Oh god, make it stop!" _Alright! _he yelled. _Enough!_

_Then you'll tell me?_

_Yes._

_Sweet! So what is it?_

Freedan took a moment to gather his thoughts. _After this dungeon…you wont be able to communicate with me anymore…_

Will's sudden happiness was gone. _What?-! What do you mean? Freedan!_

_My task was to help guide the chosen one to this place where the spirits rest._

_Spirit? What spirit? Never mind… Freedan, you said you'd always be there for me, remember?_

He smiled grimly. _I did, didn't I?_

_You cant just up and leave me like this! _he continued angrily. _There are still a lot of things I don't know!_

Freedan paused as he entered the road to the Main Hall.

_What is there to know? _he asked Will. _You know your mission. You know what it is you have to do._

_But…what about you? What's going to happen to you once this is all over?_

_I will remain by Gaia's side until the time I am needed again._

He cut off the connection as he found another journal of an explorer. This time it was the Captain's.

"_There is a temple where a spirit is said to live. In the Main Hall, 2nd__ floor, a bright room blocks the way. You must go through it to reach the top floor. The bright light masks the corridor. If you want to meet the spirit you must wear the Black Crystal Glasses. I saw something shining on the ground near the Main Hall, but I had to run. Possibly the glasses from legend… I regret coming here…"_

"So I need the glasses…" He searched near the entrance and eventually found them.

_Its not fair. _said Will finally.

_That is the way it is and has been for many years. _said Freedan, entering the Main Hall. He found the stairs leading to the 2nd floor and equipped the Black Crystal Glasses. Instantly the light was blocked and he could see normally.

_Does Gaia know this? _he asked angrily.

_Of course, Will._

_But… But… _he stuttered. _Its not right…_

Freedan paused just outside a portal to Dark Space. "I guess this is it…"

_Freedan, I don't want to say good bye. _he said sadly. _I cant…_

_Soon you will meet someone much more powerful than I. Trust in him.. He shall be your key to victory._

_I don't care about that! I-_

_Will…do you know why I remain by Gaia's side?"_

_Err…no… Why?_

_I was chosen, _he said. _out of all the Knights, to lead the next generation. The next generation of Knights who would lead the struggle against the Comet. You, Will, are the next in line._

_Me?_

He nodded. _You, Will. All this time your body has been changing to that of a Knight. You know this to be true._

Will took in all this information. _So… After this dungeon, I'll never see you again?_

_Correct._

_Alright. _he said, finally accepting that fact. _But I'm not saying good bye._

_Then neither shall I. _Before he entered Dark Space he said, _Thank you, Will._

_For what? _he asked gloomily.

_For giving me hope._

_Huh?_

_For years now, I have led the chosen one to this spot. And every time it's the same, _he said. _The Comet would come, be destroyed, then come again… It all seemed so pointless. Before I met you I had lost all faith in mankind but now… I believe there is hope yet._

_Freedan…_

_I pray that your steadfast courage and determination lead us to a bright new future._

He stepped into Dark Space breaking all communication with Will.

"Hello, Freedan. I hope you are well?" she asked.

He gazed up at her. "Always."

She nodded. "Then are you ready?"

"I have accomplished my task and am ready to step aside…"

"Have you no regrets?" she asked. "It will be many years before you are free again…"

He turned to face the statue of Will. "No, Gaia… I have no regrets. Will shall save this world and usher in a bright new future."

"Let us hope."

"There's no need," he said with a grin. "He will be victorious."

Freedan dropped to one knee and was slowly lost to the darkness.

_The rest is up to you…_

**X**

When I awoke I didn't know what to do. I was sad, mad, anxious, confused… I didn't know where to begin…

"Hello, Young Will."

Then I knew. I turned to face her. "Gaia, did you know? Of course you knew, you know everything… But why didn't you tell me?-!"

"It was Freedan's choice whether to tell you or not, not mine."

"But you practically own him! Why would you make him go through all this crap just to do it all over again every 8oo years?" I asked. "Its not fair."

"Life's not fair," was her simple reply. "Freedan was chosen for this task and he accepted his destiny. Just like you must accept yours."

"But…" _It still doesn't seem right… _I was missing my friend already. "So now what? I still need to collect two more Mystic Statues. Is there one in this ruin?"

"No."

"What?-!"

"This place does not house a Mystic Statue."

"Then what was the point of coming here?-!" I asked angrily.

"On the top floor of this ruin you will understand why you have made this journey." she said.

"Fine."

I left. I didn't want to be in that place anymore. After everything that had happened to me, I thought I was doing okay but now… _Kara hates me, Hamlet died, my best friend is gone forever, and now I have to deal with destroying an evil comet alone… _Sometimes I wish I had never left South Cape…

I barely even noticed the rest of the dungeon. It went by in a daze as I thought about my journey.

_Was it all worth it? _I wondered. _Why even do this? What's the point? _As I entered the top floor I saw a spirit waiting for me. _Well, lets find out…_

Before I could say anything the spirit spoke. "Will… I've been waiting for you…"

"How do you know my name?" I asked. "Who are you?"

"I am dreaming. Time has passed since the dream began, and my body became what you see."

"I didn't ask what you were." I said. "Who are you?"

"I am the one who shall tell you why you have come." he said. "Now, I am going to show you a strange image… Close your eyes…"

I did as he said. What I saw next I didn't understand. There was what appeared to be a large city. Several people walked by on crowded streets… Tall buildings soared into the sky… There wasn't a hint of green life anywhere…

"What was that?" I asked as the vision faded.

"That is the new world."

"The new world? But…that world is all grey… This world has blue water, green mountains, brown earth…"

"You will usher in that world." he said.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Me? Such a strange world?" _Is this why I was chosen? To do this?_

The spirit continued, "Tall trees replaced by buildings, rivers replaced by roads… No matter what kind of world people live in, if they think they're happy, they'll be happy."

I didn't understand. My whole purpose in life was to usher in this strange world? What good would that do?

"Go," said the spirit. "Return to the village and restore those turned to stone to their original condition."

"Hold up! I'm not-"

There was a bight flash and when it passed, the spirit was gone. I stood quietly as if nothing had happened. That's when I found the Gorgon flower held tightly in my hand.

I stared at it blankly. Sliding to the floor, I sat down. I felt as if the world had ended and I was the only one left.

"Why?" I asked aloud to no one. "_Why?-!_" I said it louder as if that would help. "What did I do to deserve this? What did I do wrong?-!"

I punched the ground angrily. "Dammit! I don't want to do this anymore! I'm sick of it! I go through all this trouble and for what? Nothing!"

I stood up, venting my anger. Finally I screamed. It felt good to just lose control like that. When it was over I calmed down.

"Alright… Yelling about it wont solve anything. I'll just go back to the village for now and see what happens…"

I left Ankor Wat hoping to never return.**

* * *

Ok, before ppl kill me…Let me explain! The reason I got rid of Freedan was cuz he's basically useless once you get Shadow so I had to do Something! Having him 'die off' here seemed like the best thing to do so… Don't kill me!**

**And speaking of Shadow… Guess who we get to meet in our next dungeon? Hee hee!**

**Till next Chap!**


	24. Dao

**I apologize for the shortness of this chap but Ankor Wat was long and the Pyramid is Definitely long so I think you can manage…lol**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When I arrived back in the village I was surprised to find Kara waiting for me.

_Great… Now she's going to yell at me for taking so long… Im surprised she even waited for me._

She walked up to me slowly, her head bowed. "Will…"

"What is it?" I asked, unsure of her mood. I couldn't tell if she was angry or not.

She looked up at me sadly. "I'm sorry."

That took me by surprise. She had every right to be mad at me. Heck, _I'd_ be mad at me. Why the sudden change?

"Ever since you left I've been thinking…" she continued. "You've been trying your best to protect us from the beginning and what did I do? I yelled at you…"

_You did a lot more than that… _I thought, but said nothing.

"I just wish you had told me sooner. Maybe I could have helped…"

"Kara…" I moved forward and embraced her. "You help me just by being here…"

"Oh, Will…"

Suddenly I didn't feel so bad. Sure my best friend was gone, but I knew now what I had to do. Freedan believed I could see this mission to its end and I wasn't going to disappoint.

I let Kara go and headed for the hut with the stoned girls.

"Will…?"

As I entered the hut, I took out the Gorgon Flower. Placing a petal in each of their mouths, I watched as the statues came to life.

"Will, what's-" Started Kara as she entered the hut. "Oh!"

I turned to her. "You remember the light from the Comet?" I asked.

She nodded, still too stunned over the girls' miraculous recovery.

"This is what it does. It changes people. That's why I have to stop it and put this world back on track. That's my mission." It was weird hearing myself say that with such conviction, but it was true. And I wouldn't rest until I had seen this through to the end.

She nodded, understanding how I felt. "Okay, Will. I believe you. You have my support."

I smiled, "Thanks, Kara…"

Just then Erik came running in with a scared look on his face.

_Way to ruin a moment…_

"Its horrible!" he cried. "Some labor traders came here and dragged away the natives!" He paused as he spotted me. "Will, when'd you get back?"

"Doesn't matter." I said. "What's that about labor traders?"

"They came to the village." he replied. "They took the natives to a town northwest of here. We have to do something!"

'_We' usually meaning Me… _"Alright. We'll follow them to the next town and see what we can do."

So we followed the men to a town called Dao. It was a shining village located in the desert. We asked around but by the time we arrived the laborers were already gone.

"I cant believe they would take advantage of people stricken with famine!" pouted Kara. "Its inhuman."

"That's life…" said Erik bored. "I wish Lance or Lilly were here. They'd make this fun…"

"Well they're not, are they?" said Kara. "Stop complaining and try to be of use!"

"And do what?" he asked.

"What indeed."

I sighed. _There's no way I'm going to put up with this… _I headed for the door.

"Will, where are you going?" asked Kara concerned.

"Out."

"But-"

"Its alright. I'll let you know beforehand if I run off again, okay?" I gave her a small smile.

"Thanks."

I nodded and left. The town was small and boring. _Just like a certain person I know… _I thought, thinking of Erik.

But I did pick up some local gossip. Apparently there was a ruin nearby that housed a strange power. Thinking it was a Mystic Statute I decided to leave when I remembered I'd tell Kara first. I was about to enter the room when I noticed a weird man standing outside the door.

"Hey," I called. "What're you doing?"

"I'm looking for a guy named Will. You know him?"

"I hope so. _I'm_ Will."

He smiled in relief. "Thank god! I've been looking all over for you!" He pulled out a letter attached to some luggage. "Someone by the name of Bill and Lola sent this awhile back. Here…"

I took the letter and luggage a bit surprised. _Grandma Lola and Grandpa Bill sent me something? _Curious, I opened the letter.

"_Have you been okay? We haven't heard from you in so long. I know that you are tying your best and we wish you luck. When I looked in your father's luggage I found this journal. Perhaps it can be of some use? Take care,_

_Bill and Lola."_

I smiled. _So they know about the Comet… I hope they're all right… _I searched the luggage and found my father's journal. It looked like he was doing research on a pyramid in the area. The journal read:

"_I've deciphered the hieroglyphics. No one has ever done it before. It says there's a key to solving the riddle of human history in the Pyramid." _Below this were several hieroglyphics. They looked like pictures. _"The first part says, 'The sun spirit rises from the horizon.' I went to the Pyramid and found the same inscription. So-"_

I frowned with disappointment as I noticed the next page was missing. _So my father went to the Pyramid? All the more reason for me to go too._

I walked into our room and was hit with another surprise.

"Neil?-!"

My cousin turned to face me. "Will! There you are! I saw Kara and Erik and wondered where you were. Still running off, I see…"

I laughed. "Got me there…" Changing the subject I asked, "So why are you here? Aren't you some head honcho now?"

"That why I'm here."

"Neil's trying to stop the slave trade," said Kara. "He's trying to replace labor with pepper imports."

"It's a long shot," he admitted. "But I have to try something."

I nodded.

"So why are _you_ here?" he asked.

"Well, um…"

"You here to visit the Pyramid?" he guessed. "I figured as much. Best be careful though. I heard no one's come back alive," he warned.

"I'll be careful."

"Well I have to go," said Neil, turning from us. "Ever since I became president its been busy busy busy…" He laughed and left.

"It was good to see Neil again," said Kara with a smile.

"Yeah…" My thoughts turned to the Pyramid and whether or not a Mystic Statue was there. _If its in my father's journal…_

"Will…you're going to go to that Pyramid, aren't you?" she asked concerned.

"Of course." was my simple reply.

"Have fun," called Erik. "Don't die."

"Erik! Don't say such things!" Kara turned to me worriedly. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine! What could go wrong?" I waved. "See ya when I get back!"

I left the room and proceeded to exit the Inn when I overheard two women talking. They were speaking in a foreign language but I understood one word.

A shiver ran down my spine. _Jackal?-! So he's still after us… _I exited the Inn quickly. _I better hurry…_

* * *

**Yay! The Jackal returns! -not yet- Up next we get to explore a huge dungeon And we get to meet a new character. What is in store for Will once he meets Shadow, the Ultimate Warrior? Heh, wait and find out!**

**Till next Chap!**


	25. Pyramid

**I have no idea what possessed me to make Shadow the way he is but when I look back, I'm glad I did. Here's to Chap 25: Pyramid!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When I arrived at the Pyramid I was surprised to find a man. He was leaving with a scared expression on his face.

"Are you okay?"

"Don't go into the Pyramid!" he warned. "There are traps…everywhere! Big ones…small ones… Traps that respond to sound… Its horrible!" He ran off screaming.

_If I had a dollar for every crazy person I've met…_

I entered the Pyramid to find it empty. A staircase led to a room above. The only thing out of place was a portal to Dark Space.

_Odd… _Having nothing else to do, I entered the portal.

"Hello, Young Will."

I ignored her. By this time the greeting routine was old hat. I looked to where Freedan's statue used to be. In its place was empty darkness which is how I felt just then. _Freedan…_

"Do not mourn for your friend," said Gaia. "It is not as if he is no longer with us."

_Yeah right… _That's when I noticed the new statue. Freedan had said I'd meet someone more powerful than him that would help me but this guy wasn't what I expected.

It looked like his body was enshrouded in flames. Like he didn't have a definite physical form.

"Freaky…"

"That is Shadow," explained Gaia. "He is the Ultimate Warrior and the only one capable of defeating the Comet."

"Then why do you need me?" I asked slightly upset. "Why don't you have _him_ destroy it?"

"You will understand in time." was all she said.

"Whatever…" I approached the statue. _Freedan told me to trust him but-_

_He did, did he? _said a voice.

I stared up at the statue. _You're Shadow?_

_Who else would I be?_

He sounded cocky, like he was better than everyone else. I glared at him, already disliking him. _So what's your story?_

_I am made from the light of a comet, the Ultimate Warrior. _he said. _My body, which has no shape, appears only when the human consciousness evolves. The comet that approaches Earth is also a consciousness without form._

_Okay… What does that have to do with me? _I asked.

_Didn't Gaia tell you? My body is the only thing that can confront the comet and bring it to an end. _he said.

Oh yeah, this guy was full of himself.

_Close your eyes._

_No, wait! _I fought the gradual unconsciousness but he was too powerful. "Dammit…"

**X**

Shadow stretched and flexed his fingers. "Ah! To be alive again!" He turned to Gaia. "Greetings, Gaia the Eternal. Good to see you're the same as ever…"

She watched him carefully. "Hello to you too, Shadow. I trust you are well?"

"As well as I can be, what with being sealed away every 800 years… So this kid is the next chosen?"

"That _kid_ is named Will," she said seriously. "Don't break him, Shadow."

He laughed. "Is Mother Gaia getting attached to her little tool? I'm surprised at you!"

She glared at him slightly, "A Mystic Statute-"

"Is in this place somewhere." he finished. "I know the drill." He bowed slightly, "And now if you'll excuse me…" He turned his back on her and left.

"Gaia Gaia Gaia… You never change…"

_Hey! _yelled Will pissed. _Give me back my body!_

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Here we go again…" _And what exactly were you planning on doing? If you hadn't noticed, much of the Pyramid is underground. And unless you're a mole, which I doubt, you'll leave this to me._

_And what exactly are you going to do, hmm? _challenged Will.

"Amateur…" Shadow stood in the center of the room then started to dissolve. He lowly sunk through the floor to the room below. _Understand now, kid? I don't need you._

_Well I don't need You! _he yelled back. _Now change back, now!_

_Nope. You see, unlike your pal Freedan, I Have a spine. I'm not just going to roll over and do what everyone tells me to._

_Don't you Ever talk about Freedan that way!_

Shadow laughed. _You are so amusing! Why…I haven't had this much fun in Years!_

_Shut up!_

He laughed some more. _Now why don't you take a nap or something? I plan to enjoy myself for as long as I can…_

_Shadow!_

He tuned him out. Ignoring the Dark Space portal, Shadow entered one of the six rooms. "Show time!"

Will hated to admit it but Shadow was definitely stronger than Freedan. He easily killed several mummified creatures, including their spirits, and multiple energy orbs.

Shadow laughed, "Come on! 800 years and you're still weak? What's the deal?"

After defeating all the demons, Shadow found himself at a dead end.

_What's the matter? Stuck already? _asked Will.

_I thought I told you to shut up. _Looking around he spotted a hidden staircase in one of the mummy holes in the wall. _See? I have it under control._

At the bottom of the staircase he came across a humanoid bird like creature carrying a spear and shield.

"Well _that's_ new…" He grinned as he dodged the enemy's thrust. "New but rusty." He quickly countered and eliminated it easily. _Next!_

Shadow entered another room full of demons and eliminated them one by one. The path ended in a small room. At the top of some stairs a hieroglyphic was embedded in the wall.

_Hey! That looks like the picture in my father's journal!_

_Your father, eh? He an explorer? _asked Shadow.

Will debated on whether to tell him or not. Finally he said, _Yes. He explored this Pyramid once._

_Heh, so you're not a complete newbie…_

_Hey!_

Shadow took the hieroglyphic and headed back to the main room.

_So…Will…you up to it? _he asked.

_Up to what?_

_Destroying the comet and changing the world forever. _Will hesitated. _Because if you're not…we're in for some problems. I wont tolerate anything less than 100 percent dedication to the mission._

_I have to admit, _he said finally, _I only just learned about the true meaning behind all this and I'm not sure I like it but…_

_But?_

_Freedan believed I could do this and I trust him._

Shadow sighed. "Its always about Freedan…" _Listen Will, its not about what He wants. You have to be dedicated to this for You. Understand?_

_Not really._

_Well you better or else this world is doomed._

He cut him off again and entered another door. A long staircase led to a couple enemies and a dead end. Sensing another floor beneath him, Shadow quickly melted and descended to the next floor.

After some more exploring, he came across another hieroglyphic.

_Say, how many of these are there? _asked Shadow.

_What? The Ultimate Warrior is asking for help? _said Will mockingly.

_Just answer the question!_

_There were six in my father's journal so-_

_Six there is then._

Shadow backtracked and was about to enter the next door when he stopped.

_What's the matter? _asked Will. _Lose your nerve?_

_No… _he paused. _I'm sensing something unfamiliar… An…incline?_

_Incline! That's where I come in! _said Will excitedly. _Change back!_

Shadow glowered at the thought.

_Come on! You have to! We're supposed to be a team, right?_

_Supposed to._

_Then change back! Now! _he added more forcefully.

_Fine. _Regrettably, Shadow entered the Dark Space.

"Shadow, back so soon?" asked Gaia surprised.

"Really, Gaia, I'm hurt," he said sarcastically. "You act as if you don't want me here."

"You know as well as I that I never said that."

"Whatever… We all know that Freedan's your favorite." He sighed dramatically, "I suppose I should go since no one wants me around… Don't worry though," he added before losing consciousness, "I'll be back…"

**X**

"Finally!" I was relieved to be in control again. Its not that I didn't like Shadow, its just…he was a lot to deal with.

"I hope you are well?" asked Gaia.

"As well as I can be after dealing with that guy." I pointed at Shadow's statue. "What's the deal with him anyway? He's nothing like Freedan…"

"No… And he'd be very happy to hear you say that. " Seeing the confused look on my face she said, "Freedan and Shadow don't exactly see eye to eye. While Freedan has accepted his destiny to guide the chosen one, Shadow has some issues…"

"You can say _that_ again…" I said dryly.

"You see, Shadow is so powerful that he can only be active for a limited amount of time. Otherwise he could lose control and go berserk. I believe, in a way, he is jealous of Freedan…"

"Why? They're both stuck here either way."

"Yes, but Freedan does not have to be sealed indefinitely."

I paused, going over her words in my head. _Sealed indefinitely? That sounds horrible…_

"In any case," she said, "You should be on your way."

"Yeah, I guess…" I took one last look at Shadow's statue and left.

Now that I was in control I could do things at my own pace. I entered the room Shadow had left and continued. I came across some opposition, mainly a hoard of mummies, but after watching Shadow I knew how to kill them easily.

Eventually I came upon the incline that Shadow had sensed. How do you even 'sense' an incline anyway? Moving on…

Before I could make it to the incline I had to get past a small booby trap. Small? Yeah right.

I took a step back and gulped. Above me, a section of the ceiling was covered in spikes. It moved up and down so I had to time myself just right.

_Here goes! _I gathered energy and when the ceiling rose I moved. "_Spin Dash!_"

I flew right underneath the spiked ceiling and up the incline. I had to remember to stop myself before I splattered against the wall. _Phew… Still not used to that…_

The next room was even worse. Multiple parts of the ceiling rained down and there were few places to rest in-between.

_I'm only going to get one shot at this… _Closing my eyes, I started to spin. "_Spin Dash!_"

I hurtled forward, unable to stop myself. I held my breath as a spiked ceiling barely missed me. When I stopped spinning I was on the other side. I had made it.

A door in front of me led to another room with another hieroglyphic.

"Three down, three to go!"

After I had backtracked to the main room I entered a fourth door. I used a spin dash to hurl myself to the other side of the room and quickly eliminated two orbs. In the next room I used my ability to go down one incline and up another. At the top a bird demon waited for me.

I attacked and was quickly countered as he blocked with his shield and made a quick thrust with his spear. I backed off, storing energy, and went in for the final blow. "_Psycho Dash!_"

The creature didn't even know what hit him.

In the end I found the fourth hieroglyphic and exited. As I was exploring the fifth room, I came across a dead end.

"Okay… Now what?" I looked around for a hidden passage but found nothing. As a last resort I checked the floor. I groaned. Through a crack I could see another room below. _Looks like I need Shadow's help again… Dammit… I know Freedan told me to trust him but…_

I sighed, entering Dark Space.

"Hello-"

"Young Will…" I finished. "I know…"

She looked at me slightly hurt. "What is it you need?"

I walked to Shadow's Statue. "To change…" Before I spoke with him I asked, "Can I trust this guy, Gaia? Really?"

She hesitated before saying, "He's unstable, that's for sure. But a more reliable companion you will not find. I think he believes in his cause more so than Freedan does."

_Yeah right… _I turned to the statue. _Hey-_

_Come back for more I see…_

_Yeah…_

_Well then, what are you waiting for? _he asked impatiently.

I groaned and kneeled down. "Here we go again…"**

* * *

Yeah, I split the Pyramid cuz it was Way too long, lol. Besides, you-know-who shows up next. No, not Voldemort…lol**

**Till next Chap!**


	26. The Jackal

**Chap 26: The Jackal**

* * *

"Shadow-"

"Hurry up, I know," he said annoyed. "Sheesh, you'd think after all this time you'd change or something…"

"That's not what I was going to say," she said aggravated. "What I was going to say is to be careful. I feel an unknown presence in the Pyramid…"

"Want me to check it out?" he asked eagerly.

Gaia gave him a stern look. "No. You mustn't interact with others. For now you must find the Mystic Statue."

"Yeah yeah… See ya!"

Shadow exited and headed into the door that Will had just left.

Sinking to the floor below, he found himself in a long corridor. Multiple blue demons littered the room firing laser like shots in his direction. He defeated them all and sunk below to another floor.

Once there he found a door leading to another hieroglyphic.

_This is too easy…_

_Shadow… _called Will.

_What is it? _he asked as he started backtracking.

_Are you jealous of Freedan?_

Will's question made Shadow stop cold. _What did you say?_

_That's what Gaia told me, _he said innocently.

_Don't you Ever compare me to that good for nothing Bastard! We are Nothing alike!_

_Then if you're not mad at Freedan then what's your problem?_

_My problem? _he repeated. _You want to know what my Problem is?-!_

_Yes._

_Alright, then I'll tell you! _He took a slight breathe as he said angrily, _How would You like it if you were sealed away for all time and were only allowed to come out every 800 years? How would You like it if you were cast out because of who you were or who you had become? How would You feel?-!_

Will said nothing, too stunned to speak.

_You wouldn't like it at all, would you? You'd want to be free to live Your life, the way You wanted it. Not to be sealed away forever…_

_Shadow…_

_That destiny loving Freedan can kiss my ass. He doesn't accept his 'destiny' because he's a noble prick. He accepts it because it's the only thing he knows! _Shadow paused. _Me on the other hand… I Had a life. I didn't used to be like this… _He looked at his flaming hands sadly. _And then the Comet came…_

_I'm sorry, Shadow… I didn't realize…_

_What are you apologizing for? _he asked. _You've done nothing wrong._

_But-_

_Save it, will ya? We have a Mystic Statue to find._

As Shadow entered the sixth and final door he paused.

_Thanks._

_Where's this coming from? _asked Will.

_For letting me rant like that. I've kept that bottled up for awhile now. Heh, feels good to let it out…_

_Anytime._

Shadow continued to follow the path, killing any demons in his way, and soon came to a dead end. A single switch rested on the floor.

_Heh, think I should push it? _he joked.

_Be my guest._

Once he pushed it, the wall moved to reveal a hidden room with yet another switch. After he pressed it, the wall moved again, this time revealing a hidden staircase. The rest of the room continued in this manner until he reached the bottommost floor.

He entered the final hieroglyphic chamber and took the tile.

_Guess this is it…_

_Now we have to solve the riddle, _informed Will.

Shadow grinned. _I'll leave the riddles to you._

He used the teleportation device to teleport to the beginning of the Pyramid. Entering the first Dark Space portal where they had first met, Shadow approached Will's Statue.

_You're okay, _said Shadow. _A little annoying but…okay._

_You're not exactly perfect either, _commented Will. _But you're okay._

Shadow smiled. _See ya later, kid. _Before he lost consciousness he turned to Gaia. "I can see why you chose him. He'll succeed, no doubt."

**X**

When I came to, Gaia was smiling at me. "What?"

"It seems you have earned the approval of both Freedan _and_ Shadow."

"All in a days work," I said cockily. I glanced at Shadow's Statue. Now that I knew where he was coming from I could understand why he acted like he did. I'd be pissed too if my whole life got turned upside down by some Comet. _Wait a minute… My life Did get turned upside down by a comet… At least I didn't get sealed away like Shadow…_

"Something on your mind?" asked Gaia.

"Is there nothing you can do?" I asked. "About Shadow?"

"There is nothing."

_Lame… _"Alright, I should get going… See ya, Gaia."

I left the Dark Space headed for the chamber above where I was supposed to use the hieroglyphics to solve the riddle my father's journal talked about.

I was about to inspect the wall when a voice stopped me cold.

"Walk to the left without a sound!"

I didn't recognize the voice but I didn't need to. I knew who it was. Slowly, I did as he said.

"There, that's good… Don't move!"

I turned around just as the Jackal entered the room. He had Kara with him at knife point.

She looked at me terrified, "Will!"

"Kara!" I made a move toward her-

"I said don't move!" yelled the Jackal, He gripped the knife tightly.

Regrettable I took a step back.

The Jackal snickered. "So you're Will. We meet at last… I've been following you for quite some time now…"

"What do you want?" I asked. _Man did I mess up. I knew he was around but still I left them unprotected… What should I do?_

"While tracking you I learned the whole story of your adventure…" he said. "I had heard about an ancient biotechnology using the comet's light. I didn't know it was you…"

_Biotechnology? What's he talking about? _"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb!" he spat. "You can change your form. With the power to change body shape, you could get anything!" He smiled sinisterly as he said, "People would bow at your feet!"

"I would never abuse my power like that!" I yelled angrily.

He laughed. "You wouldn't…but a _king_ would."

"You cant mean…my father?" gasped Kara. "That's why he hired you?"

"King Edward would do anything to have the power you hold." He held Kara tighter, "Now come with me to Edward's castle. I have orders to bring you and Kara back with me."

_Not good… What should I do? Think dammit! _Then I remembered the crazy man I had met earlier. He had said something about traps responding to sound… _Its worth a shot._

I took out my flute and played Lola's Melody.

Suddenly the room began to shake. The two statues in the room then spewed fire and unfortunately for the Jackal, he was standing right in front of one.

I watched in horror as he caught fire and begun to burn alive. Kara backed away from him in fear.

The Jackal let out a scream of pain and started after her, slowly falling to the floor. "K-Kara…Kara…" He raised his hand to grab her but lost strength and crumpled to the floor, unmoving.

The whole event had lasted less than a minute but I would remember it forever.

Kara ran to me crying, "Will…"

I embraced her gently, "Its alright…"

"No its not!" she said through sobs. "You told me to stay behind but I didn't listen. I was worried so I- And then…"

"Its over now," I said comforting her. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

Slowly she backed away. Wiping her tears she said, "I'm sorry… I got upset… I know you're trying your best… I'm sorry…"

I nodded. _Kara has been through a lot on this journey and I think now she has finally grown up._

I turned to the six recesses on the wall. Following the instructions in my father's journal, I placed the hieroglyphics in the right order. When I was done, there was a sound from over the entrance.

"Will, what's going on?" asked Kara worriedly.

Knowing what was next I turned to her seriously. "Kara, listen to me. I want you to stay in this room, got it? No matter what happens. Can you do that?"

"Of course but-"

"Good. I'll be back."

"But where are you going?"

"To get a Mystic Statue."**

* * *

I was going to put something here but I forgot… Anywho, two chaps in and we're Still in the stupid Pyramid! Don't worry tho, next chap shall be the last. Of the Pyramid, anyway…**

**Till next Chap!**


	27. Final Flight

**Boss fight time! Yay! Okay, I tried this fight as Will once…didn't go so well… -sweat drop- So yeah…Here's chap 27.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Outside of the room was another teleportation circle. Through it I could see the Mummified Queen of the Pyramid.

"Boss time…" I hesitated. Somehow I could sense how powerful this boss was. _Am I strong enough? _I glanced at the Dark Space portal. "No, but I know who is…"

I entered the portal and walked straight up to Shadow's Statue.

_Hey there Mr. Ultimate Warrior. I have a job for ya._

_For me? Oh you shouldn't have!_

We both laughed. _There's a tough boss ahead, _I said seriously. _Think you can handle it?_

_Just point the way._

I grinned, _Up the stairs, blue circle. Cant miss it._

**X**

"Gaia," said Shadow as soon as he came to, "Wish me luck!"

"You don't need it," she said with a small smile.

"True."

He left and found the portal Will talked about. He looked ahead to the room where Kara was.

_That your girlfriend?_

_Hey, stay focused here!_

_I am. _He grinned, looking at Kara. _I used to have a girl. Long ago…_

_Shadow…?_

_But its all in the past. _He faced the portal. _Gotta live in the present, right? _He jumped in and was teleported to the boss chamber.

Shadow stared up at the Mummy Queen with a grin. "So…how about you hand over that Mystic Statue?"

She responded by summoning an energy sphere from her staff and directing it toward him.

He dissipated, avoiding the attack, and quickly reformed. "Why do we always have to do it the hard way?"

Quickly he attacked causing her to split into multiple phantoms. They spread out in a circle and slowly drifted toward Shadow.

"Shit…" He looked around and spotted another teleportation portal. Without hesitating, he jumped into it. The portal transported him to the second floor, away from the phantoms. _Well that's handy…_

_She's reforming! _informed Will.

The Queen reformed and stuck her staff in the air summoning pieces of the pyramid to rain down. Shadow dodged them easily and attacked again causing the Queen to separate again.

The battle wore on this way until the Queen changed tactics.

Instead of splitting into multiple phantoms that fanned out, now the phantoms drifted through the room in a circular pattern.

Shadow dissipated to avoid them. "Dammit, I cant hurt them in this state…" _There's got to be a weakness._

_There! _yelled Will. _One of the phantoms isn't transparent! Hit that one!_

Shadow cringed as Will shouted. _Thanks for the tip. Next time don't yell…_

_Sorry…_

Taking Will's advice, he attacked the phantom that wasn't transparent. Immediately the Queen reverted to her normal form.

_Not bad, kid… _"Whoa!" He dodged as she fired a couple of energy spheres. "Knock it off!"

Shadow attacked once more and the Queen was soon defeated. She self-destructed like the bosses before her leaving behind a Mystic Statue.

_You did it! _cheered Will.

_Of course, _he said cockily. _I Am the Ultimate Warrior._

_Now we have the 5__th__ Mystic Statue!_

Shadow sighed.

_What's wrong? Is that a bad thing?_

_No, its just… Soon my time will be up…_

_Stop it! You cant act that way; you have to be positive!_

_Positivity is for those of the future, _he said. _I am one of the past._

_Yeah but that doesn't mean you have to dwell on the past, _he replied.

_I'm not, _he grinned. _I look forward to the future you create…_

Shadow kneeled down and gradually lost consciousness.

**X**

"Shadow…" _I just wish there was something I could do for him… And Freedan… _I sighed. _Oh well… Guess I should get back to Kara…_

As I entered the room she ran to me. "Will! What happened? Where did you go? The whole pyramid was shaking and-"

"Kara, everything's fine. I got the Mystic Statue."

Her eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yep, although… I don't know where the last one is…" I admitted.

Suddenly I heard a voice coming from my flute. It was the same voice I had heard in the prison at Edward's Castle…

"Will, you've done well to come this far…"

I gasped, "Father?"

"I'm at the Tower of Babel now," he said. "Bring the five Mystic Statues to the Tower. The statues you've collected hold the key to the fate of humanity." His voice sounded strained as he said, "Will… Hurry… The Comet is approaching…"

The voice of the flute quieted and disappeared. I stared at the flute wishing it would say more but it was silent.

Kara turned to me, "It seems something terrible has happened that we don't know about…"

"What to do…" I wondered. "I was told to go to the Tower of Babel but that little island…"

"I hear Neil has built another airplane," she offered. "He told us in Dao before you came in. Maybe you could borrow it?"

"Its worth a shot…"

So Kara and I traveled back to Dao. A lot of things had happened in that pyramid. Shadow, the Jackal, my father's message…and now I was going back to the Tower of Babel. It made me wonder… What exactly lay ahead for me after my journey was over?

**X**

"No way! I wont do it."

"But, Neil-"

"No!"

Kara and I had returned to Dao. We had tracked down Neil and were currently 'negotiating' about using his plane.

"You remember the _last_ time you went to the Tower of Babel?" he continued.

"Not exactly…" I answered truthfully.

"I rest my case."

"But I have to go!"

"Look, I know you like ruins and all but the Tower of Babel is just too dangerous, Will."

I told him. Right then and there. I told him everything. About the Comet, my father, the Mystic Statues. And most importantly why I had to go to the Tower of Babel.

Kara backed me up saying, "Its true. Please, Neil, we need your plane."

"Neil, if you don't help me then this world is doomed," I said seriously.

He stared at me wide eyed. "Well, when you put it that way, I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Then you'll-"

"I'll do it."

"Thanks, Neil. I owe you one."

He sighed, "Once you make up your mind to do something, nothing can stop you. Just come back alive, alright?"

Once we had gathered our things we left town and arrived at Neil's landing zone. The new plane looked sturdy enough but looks can be deceiving.

"Hey, Neil…you sure this thing-"

"Don't worry," he interrupted. "I've already flown it several times. It works fine."

"Do you think it could make it to South Cape?" I asked.

"Of course!" he said proudly. "Why?"

"After you drop me off I want you to take Erik and Kara back to South Cape."

Kara dropped her things and stared at me in shock. "What? No! I want to be with you!"

"I don't mind," shrugged Erik. "Now that I know the world is going to end, seeing my parents again sounds nice."

Kara glared at him. "Will, I want to go with you!"

"I'm sorry, Kara," I said. "But like Neil said, the Tower is dangerous. Besides, I don't know what's going to happen…"

"But-"

"I don't want you to get hurt. Please Kara, go back to South Cape. That way, no matter what happens, I'll know you'll be safe."

She pouted and got in the plane, not saying anything.

_I guess that means I win. _I turned to Neil. "Got the right fuel this time?"

"Oh, ha ha… Very funny…" He hopped in the pilot's seat. "Now get in the plane already."

"Aye aye, Captain!" I gave him a mock salute and hopped in.

Once we were all settled, Neil started the plane and we were off. I noticed the ride was a lot smoother this time. As we got closer I started to get nervous.

_What's going to happen when I land? Will I meet my father? How would I leave the Tower when I was finished?_

"Will, we're almost there!" informed Neil.

I came out of my thoughts and looked out over the horizon. The Tower stretched far into the heavens in front of us.

_This is where it all started… And now, it will end… _"Thanks, Neil. I know you'll make a great president."

Erik handed me my parachute as he said, "I guess I wont see you for a long time, huh? I know I haven't been much help on this journey," he admitted. "So to make up for it I'll hold a huge party at my house when you come back. You will come back, right?"

"Of course!" Of course there was no way I could be sure of that. _I hope I can come back… _I smiled despite my doubts. "I'm glad we all made this trip together…"

Erik nodded. "On this trip, everyone found something. Lance met Lilly and found his lost father. Neil decided to take over his parents' company. Kara started to really live and saw a world outside the castle. I'm going to excuse myself…"

Neil looked back at Kara. "You haven't said anything in awhile. You should say good bye to Will. You probably wont see him for a long time…"

She didn't even look at me as she said," Hmm… Right…"

_Kara… I hate to leave you like this but…_

"We're here! We've reached the Tower of Babel!" Neil turned to me, "Is your parachute ready?"

I nodded and got ready to jump.

"Guys… I'd just like to say thank you for everything and…good bye."**

* * *

Finally! The Tower of Babel! But we're not done yet! Our story draws to a close as Will makes his descent towards the Tower. What awaits him inside? Stay tuned!**

**Till next Chap!**


	28. Tower of Babel

**Alright. The Mystic Statues are gathered and its time for the final battle! Err…final battles with an 's'. Lol, I hated fighting everyone again…**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I jumped out over the Tower of Babel. I hadn't been there in so long. The Tower looked the same as it had before.

When I landed I unclipped the chute and walked in. The inside of the Tower was deathly quiet. It was as if time stood still…

As I walked down the empty corridor I came across an empty pedestal.

"This is where my flute was discovered…" My words echoed off the walls breaking the silence. _Freaky…_

Eventually I came across a door, but when I tried to enter I was repelled as if a barrier was blocking my path.

_Ok… Lets try this again…_

This time I ran. I hit the barrier and was deflected again. The force sent me flying backwards where I landed on the floor.

"Oh…ow…" I heard a small 'clink' and noticed that something seemed to have fallen from my flute. I picked it up and gasped. "It's the Crystal Ring!" _I thought it was just a decoration but I had it this whole time…_

I laughed, "I really _did_ have the Ring when I went to Edward's Castle! Heh, go figure…"

I slipped on the ring and this time, when I tried to cross the barrier, I passed through easily. I was about to continue down the corridor when I heard a voice behind me.

"Wait…"

I turned around just as Kara entered. "Kara? I thought I told you to-"

"I know," she said. "I'm sorry for not doing what you told me but… If we part now, I feel as if we'd never see each other again…"

"Kara…"

"Besides," she added grinning, "when have I ever done what others told me?"

"True."

As we continued down the corridor a thought hit me. "Kara…how did you get past the barrier? You cant come here unless you have the Crystal Ring…"

She held up her hand which had a ring like mine on it. "Could this be it?" she asked. "It's the ring from the Incan Gold Ship… I know I shouldn't have taken it but…"

_My ring is dark blue… Hers is light blue… A light one and a dark one… _Finally it all made sense. If I was to be the Dark Knight there had to be a Light Knight somewhere too. I looked at Kara. _Now I know what she meant by 'changes'. She's been going through the same things as me…_

"Will?"

I nodded, "I understand… No matter what happens, don't leave me."

"Alright."

Further down the corridor there was a spirit.

"The light released from the comet has a profound effect on the growth of living things," he said. "When the star nears Earth's orbit, all living things experience a dramatic evolution…" He faded, saying no more.

"Will…"

"Its alright," I said. "Just a spirit. Wont hurt you."

There were two more spirits in the corridor. Each one telling us of the history of the comets.

"The evolution of living things took a long time. From insects to fish, from reptiles to mammals, then humans were born. And so human beings have changed…"

_What does he mean? Humans have changed?_

"From ancient times comets have been called the spirits of the stars, but also the demon of stars," said the other. "The one now nearing Earth is a demon of stars… The Earth will evolve beyond imagination…"

Kara turned to me, "What does he mean, Will? Has this happened before?"

"Every 800 years the Comet comes back. And every 800 years someone has to stop it."

"How do you know that?"

"A good friend of mine told me that." I smiled slightly as I said, "Took awhile for him to tell me though…"

On the next floor we came across yet another spirit.

"The passage of time is different inside the Tower of Babel… Time races by… You're not normal human beings because you can live here…"

"Not normal?" asked Kara confused.

I simply shrugged. I already knew I wasn't normal. Didn't take a genius to figure that one out. "Come on, Kara, lets go…"

Before a strange door, a spirit stopped me.

"In that room are demons evolved by the light," he warned. "You must put them to rest before you may pass."

_Demons, huh? _"Kara, stay here. I'll be right back."

"Be careful…"

I nodded and entered the room. I gasped as I recognized where I was. The room gave a violent shake and Castoth, the boss from Larai Cliffs, emerged.

"Holy sh-"

_Will! _yelled a voice in my head.

I cringed. _Ow…_

_How do You like it when someone yells in your head? _asked the voice cockily. _Not pleasant, is it?_

_Shadow?-!_

_Let me take over. _he demanded.

I looked at Castoth. _But-_

_Listen, you cant waste your energy on small fry like this. Let me handle it. You have other obligations._

_Right._

**X**

Shadow stretched, "Now then… Time ta die!"

He expertly destroyed the hands and went in for the kill.

Freedan may have been good but Shadow was better. In less than 30 seconds Castoth was defeated.

_Amazing…_

_All in a days work… _Shadow kneeled. _Now hurry. I can sense the Comet getting closer…_

**X**

I exited the room and joined Kara. On the next floor was another door like the one before.

"Gotta go," I said to Kara and entered the room.

Like last time, the battlefield looked familiar…

"Viper?" I gasped. _I guess I'll have to go through all the bosses from before…_

_Not you, _said Shadow. _Me._

_Good Luck._

**X**

"Alright, lets get this over with…"

Like Castoth before him, Viper was easily defeated.

_Next!_

**X**

When I rejoined Kara we continued down the path.

"Will…what exactly are you doing in those rooms?" she asked.

"Nothing."

She glared at me. "Don't give me that."

I laughed because the truth was I wasn't doing anything. Shadow was doing all the fighting. But to make her happy I said, "There are some very powerful demons behind those doors. I have to get rid of them so we can proceed."

"Oh… Like the spirit said?"

"Yeah…"

In the next room we were teleported up some floors and continued. I left Kara and entered the next room.

_So, which boss is it gunna be this time? Castoth…Viper… Then the next one should be… _I groaned. "The Vampires…" _Shadow, they're All yours…_

**X**

Jack and Silvana laughed creating their giant attack of doom.

Shadow simply dissipated and went in for the kill. He destroyed Silvana first saying, "You know how the saying goes: Ladies First!"

"You bastard! You killed my wife!" yelled Jack. "_Die!_"

Shadow rolled his eyes, "Whatever… Bring it!"

Jack was no match for Shadow and the battle was soon over.

**X**

Kara and I went up the stairs and found yet another room.

Kara sighed, "How many of these are there anyway?"

"Mm… We already did three so… Two more."

I left her and entered the room. "Sand Fanger, huh? _Have at it._

_Don't mind if I do._

**X**

The battle was over even before it started. Shadow looked around for more demons. "That's it? Seriously? _Will…_

_Yeah?_

_Next time, don't give me a lame demon._

_Sorry but even I could kill this one._

Shadow sighed. _Guess next time it'll be the Queen again?_

_Probably._

He grinned. _Cant wait!_

**X**

When I exited the room I noticed Kara was gone. I looked both ways trying to spot her. _Where did she go?_

As I exited the corridor I came across Viper. Quickly I pulled out my flute to attack.

"Please," he said. "Don't strike."

_WTF? He can talk?-! _I didn't lower my weapon as I asked, "What's going on? I thought we killed you?"

"I was changed by the light of the comet. Now that you have defeated my Dark self I am free once again."

_That's right! Freedan had told me that Viper wasn't always evil… _"So what do you want?"

"I'm here to take you to the top." He flew over and picked me up. "Hold on…"

"Whoa!"

Viper lifted me through the air and deposited me at the top floor where he then flew off.

"Well _that_ was…freaky…" I looked around. _Still no sign of Kara… Jeez, I gotta get a leash for that girl…_

Once inside, I entered the room to the final boss.

_Shadow, you're up._

_Music to my ears!_

**X**

"Hey there! Nice ta see you're doing well," he greeted.

She fired an energy sphere at him.

"Still have an attitude problem I see… Let me help you with that!"

The battle went on much like the one in the Pyramid and soon she was defeated.

_Nice job, Shadow._

_Heh, I Always get the job done._

_So I can count on you to help me destroy the comet?_

Shadow paused. _Sorry Will, but that's Your job._

_What?_

_You have to destroy the comet, _he said.

_But how am I supposed to do that? It's a Comet! And I'm Human!_

_Are you?_

_Huh?_

_Are you Human, Will?_

_I…guess… No?_

Shadow laughed. _Soon, Will, you will learn the truth. I only hope you can apply it._

_But what about you?_

_Me? _He sighed. _My job is done. Freedan was supposed to guide you and I was supposed to get you through the Tower of Babel safely. My job's done._

_So you're just going to leave me? Like Freedan did?_

_Sorry but its in my job description, _he said. _Help Hero then disappear._

_Its not fair._

_Life's not fair, _he said quoting Gaia. _Just…do me a favor. When this is all over…think about me once in a while, will ya?_

_Of course._

_Heh, nice knowing ya, kid. Good luck in the new world…_

He kneeled down and was lost darkness…**

* * *

First Freedan now Shadow… I swear they got the short end of the stick…lol**

**Alright, time to rap this fic up! Alas! We are coming to the end! Its Will vs. Dark Gaia as the battle for Earth begins! Who will be victorious? Only one way to find out!**

**Till next Chap!**


	29. The Comet

**Will has come a long way since South Cape and its time to return. The final showdown awaits in Illusion of Gaia Chapter 29: The Comet.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Good bye… Shadow…" I had only known him for a short while, and sure we didn't start off great, but I was going to miss him. Speaking of miss… _Where is Kara?_

I continued down the empty corridor and entered a small room where I found Jack waiting for me.

"Greetings…"

I eyed him warily.

Jack laughed, "Do not worry… I will not bite."

_Yeah right…_

"Come, we must go quickly," he said. "The comet will soon be entering Earth's orbit. I shall take you to the top of the Tower…"

Before I could do anything he grabbed my arm and quickly teleported to the top of the Tower. Task done, Jack flew off into the distance.

"Freaky…"

As soon as I entered the next room I spotted Kara.

"Kara! Where'd you go?" I asked angrily. "I thought I told you to-"

"I know and I'm sorry," she said. "But there was talk that the Vampire woman had come…"

"Silvana?" I shuddered. Just _thinking_ of her gave me the creeps.

"They say her body is eternal…" she continued. "They say that once the comet is gone, she'll be able to rest in peace…"

"Kara, who have you been talking to?"

"The spirits," she said simply.

I shook my head. _Whatever._

At the end of the corridor I found a portal to Dark Space.

_I wonder how Gaia is doing? _"Kara, wait here. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" she asked curiously.

"To speak with a friend…" I heard her gasp as I disappeared into Dark Space.

"Hello, Will," greeted Gaia.

"Oh, so its Will now? What happened to Young Will? Or did that get old?" I asked jokingly.

"Perhaps I should call you Sarcastic Will?" she offered.

"No, I'm good." I looked around. Without Freedan or Shadow's Statues Dark Space seemed emptier. _I'm going to miss them…_

"Will, the comet draws near," she said seriously. "The time for your last battle approaches. This is the last time I will talk to you like this in this place." When she said that she seemed kind of sad.

"Last time? So…we'll never see each other again?"

"I'm afraid not."

I didn't know whether to be happy or sad about that. On one hand, Gaia was annoying and bossy. On the other, she was the one who told me of my 'destiny' and had been there to guide me through all my struggles.

"With your rejuvenated power, defeat the Comet, Dark Gaia, and become the Dark Knight."

_Dark Gaia? So there's an evil Gaia? _I paused. _Hate to see that… _"So…turn into Dark Knight and stop the Comet, got it."

"One more thing…"

"What is it?" I asked.

"You will not be able to destroy the comet without the help of the Light Knight."

"Kara? But she cant fight! There has to be another way!" I protested.

"Only by combining your power with the Light Knight will you be able to use Shadow's greatest power, the Firebird."

"But, Gaia!"

"Only you can restore the Earth to its original condition. I'm putting all my faith in you…"

Her statue was silent and moved no more.

"So that's it? Team up with Kara and destroy the Comet…? But…" I shook my head. _We'll just have to see what happens…_

I left and was immediately greeted by Kara.

"Oh, Will! Where did you go? One minute you were here and then-"

"Everything's fine," I said. _Not really… _"Lets continue. We're almost at the top…"

We explored the Tower some more and finally entered the last room.

"Will…there's a dead body on the floor…" she squeaked.

I kneeled down to inspect the bones. As I grew closer a familiar voice spoke in my head.

"Will, its me, Olman, your father. My body has decayed but I live on like this…"

Next to the bones a spirit appeared. Kara gasped and ran to me.

"Will, is that…?"

I couldn't believe my eyes, "Father? But why? Why are you in that form?"

"There's a strange room in the Tower of Babel, filled with the light from the Comet," he replied. "Time goes so fast there that people evolve very quickly…"

"Well…if this place is so strange then why are Kara and I able to be here?" I asked. "Wouldn't we become spirit's too?"

"No, Will… Because you two are evolved humans…"

"Us…? But how can that be?" asked Kara.

My father sighed, "Long ago there existed biological technology using the light of the comet."

_Biotechnology? So what the Jackal said was true!_

"People freely used this power to make plants and animals. For example, they made the camel," he explained. "It can go for long periods without food or water."

"Like the Kruk!" exclaimed Kara.

"Exactly. However…when people realized the power could be used as a weapon, demons were developed. The world was on the brink of ruin…"

"So what happened?" I asked.

"At that time, the Knights of Darkness and Light were developed to decide the fate of humanity."

"Freedan…" I whispered, thinking of my friend.

"Who?" asked Kara.

"Nothing… Continue."

"Those Knights are you ancestors."

Another shock. _Freedan's my ancestor? _I grinned. _Cool._

"The six Mystic Statues were made by the Knights," he concluded.

"But, dad, I don't know where the last one is…"

"I have it," he said. "And I now entrust it to you…"

I took it gladly, "Thanks, father."

"Soon the comet will be very close," he said seriously. "By then, the two of you must go to the roof of the Tower. Close your eyes…"

We both did as we were told.

"The ancients worshipped the comet as a spirit," I could hear my father say. "Those who bathed in the comet's light were given a strange power."

_Yeah, no kidding…_

"The comet is called a spirit. But its an unwelcome spirit. Evolving too fast brings destruction… As long as people have evil in their hearts, demons will be born," he said sadly. "Will, open your eyes and look around."

As I opened my eyes, several spirits materialized around us. We were at the top of the Tower of Babel. I had never been so high in my life.

As I walked around I spotted a spirit that looked familiar. "Seth?"

The spirit gave a small laugh, "Will…its been awhile."

"Are you okay? I mean…you're a-"

"Spirit? Yes, I know…" he sighed. "Such a world. If I could talk of this at the academy I'd be a great scholar…"

"You'll always be a great scholar in my book…"

"Thank you, Will… Now don't you have something to do?"

I nodded. "Right."

As I looked around I spotted several more familiar spirits. Neil's parents, my opponent at the Russian Glass Game, and even Hamlet!

"Of course. There's no difference between humans and animals…"

"Will…" called my father, "At last the time is near… Everyone, give Will your power!"

Suddenly all the spirits gathered around me and begun to fuse with my own consciousness. It didn't feel creepy at all. If anything, it felt right.

Kara and I faced each other.

"This is it," I said.

"Yeah…"

"Are you scared?"

She shook her head. "No… I feel like…this is the way it was meant to be. Us, together. I knew from the moment I first met you…"

I smiled, "If I remember correctly, you called me 'shabby'."

"What can I say? I was a different person back then… I'm glad we made this trip together. I'm ready…"

I nodded.

When Kara and I joined and became one, the six Mystic Statues begun to circle us. I kneeled down, accepting my new power. I closed my eyes, taking it all in.

When I opened them I was surprised to find myself changed. I looked down at my hands to find them covered in flames. My whole body was covered by glowing flames…

_I've turned into Shadow…_

_Who's' Shadow? _asked Kara.

I looked around, expecting to find her. _Kara?_

_Yes, Will?_

I gasped. She was speaking in my mind! "So this is how it feels to have someone inside your head…"

_Will, what happened?_

_We fused, Kara. Its alright though, _I said. _Nothing can happen to you._

_What if something happens to You?_

I had to smile. I had asked the same thing to Freedan when we had first met. Taking his answer I said, _Lets hope we don't find out._

"Will," said my father, "Your battle will change the fate of humanity. Now you must go to the comet." On a lighter note he added, "No pressure, right?"

Even though my dad was a spirit, he was still my father. "Of course." _Kara, you ready?_

_Yes. I'm a little scared but when I'm with you, Anything is possible._

Using Shadow's abilities, (Or were they _mine_ now?) I jumped off the Tower and flew toward the Comet. It would have been an enjoyable trip if not for the giant rock hurtling towards Earth.

I landed on the Comet's surface and the battle began.

_Oh my! _exclaimed Kara, yelling in my head.

"I really need to apologize to Freedan and Shadow. That's annoying…"

The reason for her exclamation was a giant face that had materialized on the comet's surface. It opened up its mouth and fired an energy sphere into the air.

_Will, look out! _she yelled again.

_Kara, will you please- _I dodged out of the way as the ball split and rained down. _-stop yelling?_

The face went to fire another blast.

"Oh no you don't!" I attacked using the power of the Firebird. I may not have been able to stop it but I did some damage. I dodged as the energy blasts rained down once more.

Just when I thought I had defeated the Comet it transformed.

_What is that? _asked Kara.

_I don't know…_

It looked like Gaia only it wasn't. Darker and more twisted… Could this be Dark Gaia?

I didn't have time to debate as the Dark version of Gaia summoned several tear-drop like demons to swarm me. I destroyed as many as I could, dodging when necessary. When Dark Gaia fired twin energy blasts at me I dissipated to avoid the attack.

_Wow, Will! You're good at this!_

"Tell me something I _don't_ know!" I yelled frustrated. I was killing all these demons and avoiding attacks for nothing. Dark Gaia was still undamaged.

Suddenly Dark Gaia opened its mouth to fire a giant beam attack.

_Will, dodge!_

_Hold on! _I fired a Firebird at the open mouth causing damage. _Yes! _My eyes widened when I realized it was still about to fire. "Shit…"

_Move!_

I dissipated, just barely avoiding the attack.

_Heh, now that I know how to defeat you, the rest should be easy! _I grinned and went in for the kill.

_Get it, Will! _encouraged Kara.

I didn't even care that she had yelled. I stayed focused on my target: Dark Gaia.

It was doing everything it could to hinder me. Summoning blue demons, firing twin spheres… But none of that mattered. When it opened its mouth to use its huge attack I fired.

"_Fire Bird!_"

My attack hit dead on. Dark Gaia writhed in pain and started to crumple. After a few seconds it self destructed leaving no trace of it behind…

I stood there, unable to grasp what had happened.

_Will? Will! We did it! We stopped the Comet!_

"We…stopped…?" I blinked as it finally set in. "We stopped the Comet!" I cheered. "We did it! Its over!" _Its finally over… _I couldn't believe it. After all this time it was over. The Comet was destroyed. I could go home.

I kneeled down, unfusing from Kara. Once we were separate she ran to me, embracing me in a hug.

"Oh, Will! You were amazing!"

"I couldn't have done it without you…"

She blushed, "But what happened to the comet?" She turned away from me and looked into space. "What's that glowing green planet?"

Just then a spirit materialized before us. It was my father.

"The comet's power has disappeared. The evil star has flown off to the other side of the universe…" He turned to me, "Will, do you know what planet that is, glowing there in the distance?"

I took a good look at it. "Our Earth…?"

"That's right. Our Earth…"

"Its so beautiful," said Kara. "But it looks lonely in the dark…"

Suddenly another spirit appeared. "Yes, the world is awakened."

I stared at the spirit curiously, "Mother?"

My mother chuckled. "The Earth: A mother with millions of children. I'm sure you think about us sometimes,"

"Of course."

"And Kara often thinks about her parents."

She nodded.

"The Earth is the same way," she said. "She gets lonely if her children forget about her."

"How is it, you two?" asked dad. "Looking at the world you live in from the outside?"

"Its as if we'd become spirits…" breathed Kara.

I nodded. "I'd like to show our group this… No, I want to show the whole world…"

My father laughed. "Someday people will build ships to travel the universe. They will see this green Earth with their own eyes… See how lonely the Earth looks, just like the two of you…"

Kara and I looked at each other. It didn't matter that we looked lonely. As long as we had each other…

"Look carefully at your map of the world," he instructed.

I took out my map and looked at it. "Ah! The map has started to change!"

Kara and I gasped as the four continents turned into five, then six, then finally stopping at seven. Seven continents.

"Somehow the land has taken a strange shape…"

"That is the new world," informed my father.

"New world?" _That's right! The spirit at Ankor Wat said this would happen. Even Freedan and Shadow told me._

My father continued saying, "The path of evolution, changed by the comet, has continued until now. The Earth too, has a life. It too, has evolved and changed its shape." He paused. "Now that the comet has no influence on the world, its returned to its original condition."

"Why do you know the future?" asked Kara.

"When I lost my body, I started seeing everything. The past. The future. Humanity's progression… I know many things…"

"Now you and Kara can become ordinary children again," said my mother.

"When we return to Earth," said Kara slowly, "will we be separated?"

I looked to my parents for an answer.

Finally my father said, "Yes…"

"What?-!"

"That cant be!"

"Listen," he said over our protests. "The world is changing. Humanity and history have started down a new path. You two thought nothing of it when you met each other in South Cape. But when the Earth needed the Light and Dark Knights, you met again unexpectedly."

Even though he was right, I couldn't accept it. After all we had been through we were to be separated? It didn't feel right.

"That is just the way it has to be…" My father turned to face the Earth. "Now, lets look at the world before the power of the comet is extinguished…"

My mother joined him. "We hope you two have a bright future…"

The two of them left and slowly faded away leaving Kara and I behind to say our good byes.

Kara and I turned to each other. She looked sad which was understandable; I felt the same.

"Will… Come here… Show me your face…" I moved closer and she took my hand. "I want to burn you into my memory." She looked at me intently, taking me in. "Your eyes…your hair…your voice… The warmth of your hand…"

I held her hand tightly and moved closer. "Don't worry. I'll search you out. No matter how long it takes. Hundreds of years… Thousands of years… I will come to you. So, don't cry…" I wiped the tears off her face gently. "I'll find you."

"Promise…?"

"Promise." It took everything I had not to break down. Kara was important to me. Losing her would be…unbearable. "Close your eyes…" I took this moment to take her in. Her hair…her skin…the lovely smell of that perfume she just had to have…her lips… I moved in closer and kissed her.

She kissed back. Holding me tight. "Will…"

"Lets go…" I said. "to our Earth…"

She smiled. "Yes, lets go…together…"

We fused into Shadow and journeyed back to Earth. Our Earth. Together.

**X**

The Earth's look had changed, but, glowing in the sky, it was as beautiful as ever. Buildings replaced the forests, rivers became roads, but the villages held only smiling faces.

The Tower of Babel stands tall, as if it knows the whole future of the world…**

* * *

Cue Credits! Oh god, we're almost done! As you all know you should never leave the screen until you see the words 'The End'. -trust me-**

**That being said…**

**Till next Chap!**


	30. To The New World

**As a weird guy in Zelda once said: 'Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow.' Hate to say good bye but this is it. The final chapter…Enjoy…

* * *

**

A lone teenager stood outside the classroom bored. He checked his watch once again and sighed.

"Almost time…" He shouldered his backpack and got ready. "Three…two…one…"

The bell rang signaling the end of school. Several kids exited their classrooms and left, eager to get home. Some, however, stayed behind.

Four students ran down the hall to greet their friend. One was tall, one short, and the other had glasses. The fourth student was a girl.

She ran into the teen's arms and gave him a kiss.

He pulled back laughing, "I told you I'd find you…Kara…"

Kara smiled, "Will…" She kissed him again.

Lance snickered, "Get a room…"

Just then a fifth person joined their circle. She tackled Lance in a hug saying, "Oh leave them alone. Besides, that room's reserved for us." She kissed him making him blush.

Seth fixed his glasses, chuckling, "Good to see you, Lilly. Out of detention already?"

"Oh, drop it…"

Erik laughed. "Alright, so who's up for that party?"

Everyone cheered and left the school behind, opening the doors to the new world.

The End

* * *

**I really don't know what to put here… After thirty chapters I think I've ran out of things to say…lol. So basically…**

**This has been Illusion of Gaia, -duh- I hope you enjoyed at least Some part of it and…h~m… Thanks? Oh, that's right!**

**Special Thanks-**

**Special thanks goes to Enix/Quintet for actually making the game. My dad/brother for acquiring the thing so I knew what it was. Master/WoW Dew for its awesome caffeine highs which allowed me to stay energized when writing this. My music player -cuz typing is So much better when you're listening to music-. My friends even tho they don't have a clue what Illusion of Gaia is…-glares- And of course… YOU!**

**Ultra Special Thanks goes to SilverAzure for the continued support and just pure awesome-ness. Thank You! 'hands cookie' -Kratos' secret recipe!-**

**Everyone else gets cookies too!**

**I guess I wont see you next chap so…this is Royazali, signing out!**

**See ya! **


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